Once an ally
by RadikalFox
Summary: They thought the other dead, thought themselves free from war. But Corrin and Azura find themselves once more in the thralls of war in the land of Askr, with and against heroes from worlds of heroes who have won and lost their own wars. Under the banner of prince Alfonse and princess Sharena, both women must learn the allies they once had might be forever enemies now.
1. Chapter 1

They thought the other dead, thought themselves free from war. But Corrin and Azura find themselves once more in the thralls of war in the land of Askr, with and against heroes from worlds of heroes who have won and lost their own wars?

Authors's note: Hey there, Radiklement and FuzziFox speaking. This is our joint account and a story we've set out to write together, based off Fire Emblem Heroes.

Considering that Radiklement is a shipper maniac for the Fire Emblem series, you can expect a lot of ships. But we will be focusing on two main pairings:

Fem!Corrin x Azura

Fjorm x Alphonse

While taking liberties from heroes, we will be following its plot more or less and summoning people from every fire emblem translated in the US. On a side-note, Fire Emblem Fates is taking a very big part of this story, and we're just pretending Revelations never happened, because NO to Corrin and Azura being cousins. 😉

We hope you enjoy!

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Once my ally

Chapter 1 - Lost

Her palms crashed against her eyes to shield them against the sharp light that felt like it bored straight into her skull. She staggered, falling to her knees when the grass beneath her feet vanished causing her to stumble at the nothingness, palms crashing into cold stone. What? Panic began to rise as the sounds of water and birds had vanished, replaced by the throbbing of her own pulse, the hiss of her hyperventilating breath, and the distant din of unfamiliar voices. Did someone say my name? She felt the fire ripple into her muscles, trying to open her eyes, her vision still swimming with colored splotches that she tried to squint through. She screamed, the feel of her muscles shifting and bones extending. Her armor melded against her flesh as the draconian inside overtook her, the blood pumping in her veins fueled by sheer panic.

"Corrin!" Why do they know my name? Who are they? She looked down, the dragon's blood pulsing from her heart focusing her vision down the source of the voice. She was a young blonde woman, likely little older than herself. She was clad in pale gold armor with a white overcoat; a dark haired man in similar garb beside her and standing two paces ahead was a red-haired woman with the same uniform. Standing behind them was someone in a hooded jacket of the same white and gold pattern.

"Look at that! We can just have her eat Veronica !" Anna exclaimed, "are those scales silver? We can equip half our army with just a handful of those!" she took a step forward and Corrin lurched, lowering her head and preparing to strike,

"Anna stop!" The dark-haired man bellowed, reaching out and grabbing her by the back of her collar and jerking her back. The woman glared at him, but he was walking past her, hold up a palm to forestall whatever she was going to say. "Corrin! Please! I will explain everything! I'm sorry we frightened you." She hesitated. They didn't appear to be from the cult that formed in the wake of Garon's death. The Norhian loyalists who didn't take the defeat of their Dragon King well, and worshiped his memory with fervency that plagued Corrin and Ryoma's attempts to build and maintain a peace between the war-torn nations. Where am I? she tried to ask, reminded of her draconian form by the rumbles in her throat that replaced words.

"Look… we mean you no harm. I am Alfonse, Prince of Askr. This is my sister, Princess Sharena. Behind us is Summoner Kiran. And that," he paused, sighing, is Commander Anna. We have called you here to ask for your help!" he shouted. I'm tall not deaf. Rumbles. She tried to find her center, her calm, herself. Another rumble in her throat as her bones began to pull back, her muscles warping. Her whole body ached as it found itself once again. Oh gods. That was a mistake. She bemoaned to herself, wincing as she ignited the fire in her still healing ribs. She felt to her knees again for a moment, but quickly righted herself pushing the fatigue to the back of her mind. Her head throbbed, but her hand came to her hip and unsheathed Blazing Yato, holding it at her side, fingers gripping the hilt ready to lift it.

"Tell me again, who are you. Where am I?" she asked. Alfonse's eyes flicked down to her sword,

"Please put that away we mean you no harm." He asked. Corrin nodded in the direction of Anna,

"When she does." Alfonse's brows knit together and he turned,

"Commander! Please, put your axe away! We mean Corrin no harm!"

"She was a freakin' dragon!" Anna shouted, muttering under her breath "Not used to people bursting into dragons." Such weird accents. I'm nowhere near Norh or Hoshido. Corrin pondered. She tightened her grip on her sword, eyes trained on the woman still holding her weapon.

"Commander." He stated again. Anna rolled her eyes and put her axe into its sling on her back, shrugging and holding up her palms. She's right to be afraid. I used to not be able to control this. She remembered the first time the dragon overtook her, when fear and rage gripped her heart at the sight of her birth mother slain before her. She reached a palm over her chest, where the dragonstone she wore around her neck was secured beneath her armor.

"I'm not going to use it Corrin. You just surprised me." Anna shouted.

"Where am I?"

"Askr. We have much to tell you. But you must be exhausted, come with us." Alfonse tried to soothe. Corrin paused, looking at the strangers.

"How did I get here? Why am I here?" she asked, heart beginning to race again. What's just happened to me? Am I dead? She looked up and around for familiar faces. Her siblings, her friends. Those she lost to the senseless war with her mad father. But they weren't there. Xander, Elise, Kaze, Lilith, Azura.

"We brought you here. Please… let's go get somewhere more comfortable." Alfonse beckoned. Corrin hesitated, and took a look around her. Nothing was familiar. She stood upon a large stone altar decorated with blue glass, the statue of a tree engraved into a tall grey arch in the center. Beyond it, to what appeared to be the east, was nothing but a thick forest of trees. Behind the trio begging her to come with them was a complex tent-city that put the war camps she had come to know over the past four years to the forefront of memory.

"Come on, we have mead! That'll calm that dragon of yours!" the blonde woman in the group finally chimed in. She smiled broadly, reaching a hand out to Corrin. She paused before reaching out her own hand to accept it, the woman closing her fingers tightly around her hand and shaking it vigorously. "I'm Sharena! You'll like it here in Askr, I promise. I know this must be… jarring. But let's go have a drink, some good food, and we'll explain everything." Corrin stood rooted to the spot, toes curling.

"Your feet must be freezing!" Sharena announced. Corrin quirked a brow and tilted her head, looking down at her bare feet.

"Oh," she looked down at her feet, where the leggings she wore beneath her armor ended in a tight cuff around her ankles, her feet bare. "No, I feel fine." She insisted.

"Wait are you barefoot all the time?" Anna asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, yes." She answered.

"That must be so freeing! I've got to try that!" she declared. "Probably can run better too!"

"Anna…" Alfonse groaned, squinting his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. "Please, Corrin. You seem like a good judge of character, so trust your instinct and follow us." He tried to ignore Anna muttering to herself beside him about the merits of carrying her boots back to camp to try this new barefoot thing. "We'll get you something to eat, drink, and you look like you need sleep." He added after Sharena nudged him. Corrin glanced around once more in search of a familiar face, or landmark. Seems I have little choice. She mused.

"As long as you explain to me what I'm doing here." She narrowed her eyes, and peered through them all. "You've been quiet." She remarked to the hooded person introduced as Kiran.

"Nothing to add." The voice was masculine, okay. Two men two women. She counted.

"Oh stop being so brooding, it doesn't really suit you." Sharena asked, pouting her lip.

"I haven't slept for three nights!" he shouted, suddenly more animated. "How the three of you are so spritely is beyond me. Now before we panic this poor girl any more let's go feed her and explain a few things." He suggested.

"That's the spirit! Come on!" Sharena waved her hand, Corrin finally stepping forward to follow the trio. She wondered what her brother Xander would tell her. Don't trust them. She could almost hear his voice in her head. Elise's voice countering with Oh stop being so mean! They seem nice! The two were striking opposites. Her chest ached at the thought that all she had of them were these echoes in her head. The others swam to her mind again. Kaze, Lilith, Azura. She struggled to fight this. Move on. Look ahead, not back.

The four led her away from the alter, down a staircase and through rows of tents until they reached a large white and gold tent, the opening lined with banners that she assumed bore the symbol of their nation. What was it again? Askr? She mused. Alfonse opened the tent flap and gestured for her to go inside, Anna stepping ahead first and clapping him hard on the shoulder,

"Thanks!" and went in. The man rolled his eyes and gestured again, eyes narrowed at his companion. Corrin went in and was surprised at the warmth inside the tent. Anna was sitting in a chair already pulling at the clasps of her boots to kick them off, Sharena sitting down opposite her and patting the chair beside her. Corrin approached and took the seat closest to the tent flap, and felt a flash of guilt at the disappointed expression on Sharena's face when she sat so far away from the others. Alfonse sat next to his sister, Kiran next to Anna.

"So, where's the grub? Didn't we offer to feed the dragon?" Anna grunted while tugging a boot.

"Please don't call me that."

"Would you prefer lizard?" she asked, lifting a brow and Corrin couldn't tell whether she was serious. She opened her mouth to protest but was cut off by Alfonse,

"I'll have someone bring some food." He got up to leave the tent, Anna shaking her head.

"Well we can at least start with some bread and mead while he finds something a bit yummier." She remarked. She extended her legs and wiggled her toes for a moment before standing.

"I really feared for a second there you were going to put those feet on the table." Sharena admitted.

"Oh come on, even I have better table manners than that!" She snapped back. She walked several paces to a table and grabbed a loaf of bread and a bottle of gold liquid as well as all the glasses she could manage to fit in her grip. "I see why you like this barefoot thing." She cheered, offering Corrin a smile and a glass. She handed the others to Sharena and Kiran, pointing out that Alfonse would have to fetch his own. "I'm his commander not his retainer." She remarked. She started pouring everyone from the bottle,

"You're pouring everyone's mead. Sure you're not our retainer?" Kiran asked. Anna narrowed her eyes at him, and sat back down placing the bottle back down.

"Well you and Sharena can pour your own mead then." She huffed. "So grouchy today. So. Down to business. Corrin,"

"Shouldn't we wait for Alfonse?" Sharena interrupted. Corrin was watching the banter carefully, her glass clasped between her hands with her thumbs running over the rim to try and reign in her sense of restlessness. I need to get back home. Everyone still needs me.

"Nah he'll just brood down the mood like snarky over there." Anna thumbed over at Kiran, and even with part of his face obscured by a hood Corrin could make out the way he scrunched up his expression. "Look you're not here by accident. We summoned you." She blurted.

"Way to ease her into it…" Kiran mumbled, but Anna carried on, Sharena leaning on her arms over the table watching carefully.

"We've been at war with a girl named Veronica. She has the ability to pull heroes from all different realities. She's taking over Askr and surrounding nations, I'll not be getting into all the complicated political and geographical crap now, that boring stuff is Alfonse's job. She's been working with a man named Xander," Corrin's face blanched at the name, stomach roiling. Oh gods just hearing the name hurts. It's not an uncommon name Corrin, settle yourself! She chided, trying to listen. But behind her eyelids she could only see Xander. Elise. Her siblings. Her family. Gone. "Since he's your brother and you kicked his ass once, we figured you'd be able to help us create an effective strategy to stop their army-"

"What?!"

_._._._._

Alfonse walked back into the tent to see Corrin standing up, her eyes shooting daggers at both Sharena and Anna. Kiran would have been a target too if he hadn't fallen asleep, and he remained stubbornly asleep, with his face laying on the table as Corrin's ire rolled off her raising voice.

"Are you people insane?! I lost Xander once, I'm not going to help anyone kill him in this… weird land! Why is he even here?!"

_So much for going easy on her_, Alfonse thought.

"We didn't mean it like that!" his sister instantly tried to appease her.

"Are you suggesting you'll simply _capture_ him?" Corrin clearly thought it ludicrous and with how strong her older brother had proven so far, Alfonse knew she had a point. She went on, her words betraying how shaken she still was, "I just finished one war, I know how many casualties they involve!"

Corrin whipped around, breaking into a run in her rush to get away from them. Alfonse stood before the tent flap, resolutely blocking her way.

"Please, I understand that you've been through a lot, but we're not fighting because we want to. Veronica's army has been endangering my people, our people," the prince of Asker explained, exchanging a brief look with his sister and their commander.

Corrin took a step back from his extended hand, the look in her eyes reminding him of what a wounded animal looked like.

"You're asking for too much. What would you do if you had to fight against your own sister? Would you just plot against one another?"

The question was an actual punch to the gut, but Alfonse didn't stumble, holding his voice steady, his eyes hard and resolute.

"If Sharena was to hurt our people, I would stop her," he declared.

The heaviness underneath the tent was palpable and Sharena quickly approved her brother's words.

"I'd do the same if it was Alfonse turning evil," the blond princess explained, raising her fists with conviction.

Corrin couldn't help a wince, "Xander isn't evil."

If her brother was here, he most certainly felt terribly lost. And how was she to know Veronica and Xander weren't on the good side of this battle? Like there really was a good and a bad side. How she wished things were this clean cut back home.

"I'm sorry, Corrin, that was badly said," Sharena apologized. "Since you defeated him once, we thought… well, we assumed… Gosh, I'm not helping our cause, am I? We are strangers picking you off your home to pitch you against a family member, it's really awful!"

Alfonse frowned, doubting this admission was going to help them.

"There must be something we can do…" Anna muttered. "As long as it's not money…"

Corrin gasped and Alfonse quickly stepped in, seeing as things were going downhill fast.

"Corrin, lady Corrin," he blurted out, hoping that the use of a title might put her just a little more at ease, "you have a right to question our motivations. You can ask us as many questions as you want…"

Kiran's snoring was getting very disturbing, but it was the freshly summoned princess who cut off Alfonse.

"I _don't_ have questions for you. For all I know, you could be in league with Iago and trying to push me into doing something that would hurt the fragile balance Ryoma has been working on so hard."

"Who's Iago?" Anna asked, Sharena nodding to show her own confusion.

"What can we do to ease your doubts, Corrin?"

"Let me talk to Xander," she decided, barely containing the shaking in her shoulders.

How surreal that she could ask for this? Was anyone else she'd lost also here? How unfair for Camilla and Leo that they couldn't see Xander one last time when maybe she would…

Alfonse's mouth hung open at first, his mind going over the very few possibilities that would make talking to the enemy's commander possible. Just snatching away a piece of his purple cape had taken an insane amount of luck. He hated to base any plan on luck and knew this time around, things wouldn't be as simple.

"If preparing a ceasefire was that easy, don't you think we would have done it already?" Anna observed.

Corrin shook her head.

"I can surely go find him on my own!"

"Oh no, wait, wait, Alfonse, catch her!" Sharena begged her brother.

The white-haired princess was fragile on her feet, needing more than bread to recover from the emotional shock of her summoning to a foreign land. She still landed a mighty punch in Alfonse's jaw, spit and blood flying, Kiran roused by the three violent gasps or outright cry of surprise following.

"What the hell?" he mumbled.

He saw the silver and black armor of his most recent summon rushing out of the tent, the left flap torn open in her haste, while the prince he served righted his balance, face red and his lower lip split open.

"Whoa!"

"Alfonse, are you okay?!" Sharena instantly asked.

"You just got sucker punched by a girl!" Anna couldn't help laughing at the look on his face, already half across the space beneath the tent as she threw over her shoulder. "I'll get her right away!"

"Don't… hurt her," Alfonse managed, blinking the shock away.

Damn did he want that girl as an ally, and not as an enemy if that was what she could do without a weapon.

In the tent-village of the large camp, Corrin had no real landmark, even though she'd focused on her surroundings as best as she could while being guided here. Her heart was beating fast, her breath ragged from the sudden exertion and she was hoping she could put distance between herself and the pair of royals. She'd just punched a prince and one of the leader of this so-called Order of heroes. She wasn't going to wait until heroes from gods-knew-where rushed at her with their blades and axes raised. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been allowed to join in a battle and now she was supposed to go back?

Wasn't there enough blood on her hands as it was?

She had trained with Takumi and Hinoka, grieving for everyone they had lost, wondering if she had led her friends properly or made a mistake along the way.

Right now wasn't the time to linger on sad memories though, and she took a right and a hard left, hoping she could find the larger row splitting the camp that would lead her back to that summoning stone. Maybe she could reactivate it with her dragon blood? Or should she try to find a village and ask around the whereabouts of Veronica's army?

"Corrin?!" A small voice squeaked, surprise clear in the way the tiny creature held its breath.

Water splashed and crimson and sapphire-blue scales shifting with the impatient wave of their owner. Her bare feet froze on the cold stones surrounding the pond where the creature was bathing, Corrin staring with widening eyes.

Golden eyes stared back, the small dragon raising on its legs, its large head moving from side to side as it recognized her.

"Lilith!? You're alive!"

Corrin couldn't help herself, moving forward, arms outstretched, tears threatening to fall as she was overwhelmed with joy. Her friend, her good old maid, her dear Lilith was here.

"Why would you…" Lilith started, slowly realizing what that question was about.

"Oh. Oh! You were just summoned by Alfonse and Sharena, weren't you?"

Corrin found herself nodding and she quickly checked their surroundings, spotting Anna rushing toward them.

"Lilith, have those people hurt you in any way?"

"What? No, everyone's been really nice to me! There's so much to talk about! I've missed you a lot since they summoned me, but even though I can't fight in this form, I've made friends with all of them. Sharena gives me the best head-rubs!"

"Head-rubs?" Corrin repeated, before to oomph as Anna tackled her to the ground with a victorious "Ha-ha! That will teach you for punching the prince like that, Corrin!"

They hit their heads, the Hoshidan's bruised ribs protesting to the rough treatment while Anna grumbled something about a weird flower scent.

"Let… go of me…" Corrin managed through clenched teeth, pain hissing on her breath.

Lilith jumped out of the water, her long tail slapping Anna in the face to push her off the princess, baring her teeth as she climbed on the silver-haired girl.

"Don't hurt Corrin!"

"Oww, oww, I'm sorry, I yield!" Anna agreed, shielding her face with one arm while moving backward.

Lilith glared at Anna, humming the air in the hope she could sense what was wrong with her friend. Corrin couldn't move, holding herself with one arm, fighting against the white shots of pain wracking through her. She'd wished her ribs were already healed, otherwise she would have been able to react better, but this was just too much at once, her wounds too raw. Running footsteps echoed at the edge of her mind and she somehow acknowledged that Alfonse and Sharena had finally caught up to them, Kiran not far behind.

"Oh, you found Lilith! Is everything alright?" the blond asked, crouching in front of the scene to catch her breath and be at eye-level with Lilith.

Anna was rubbing at her red cheek and started answering, but the small dragon spoke first.

"How could you let her run around like this? Corrin's hurt. We had agreed you would take better care of my friends, Sharena."

"I'll be fine," Corrin whispered.

"Okay. But if you need to see a healer, all you need to do is say so. No need to suffer in silence," Alfonse told her.

Anna muttered something about needing a healer herself, but Sharena focused on the situation at hand.

"Lilith," she whispered. "Would you be willing to explain the situation to Corrin? About how we summoned you and the battles we've fought so far. We'd really like for her to help us, but I also want her to be at ease."

And we started on the wrong foot," Alfonse sighed.

"Of course, I'll talk to her!" The dragon exclaimed. "We should go to my tent! And don't gang up on her like that, I remember how overwhelmed I was when I first got here."

Kiran offered his help to Anna while the pair of royals from Asker stayed behind to make sure both of their summoned guests would be okay. When Corrin tried getting to her feet, she stumbled and Sharena rushed to her help, offering her shoulder as support.

"What happened to you?" the blonde princess asked.

"Cracked ribs from a battle against a mad dragon the size of a castle," Corrin explained.

"By the gods! I've never faced a dragon that big! Or any dragon. Alfonse, did you hear that?!"

Alfonse nodded with a chuckle. Somehow, seeing these two interact together made Corrin feel at home. She missed her siblings terribly, but at least Lilith was here. Stepping into the small tent reserved for the astral dragon, Sharena helped Corrin sit down in a pile of cushions Lilith had quickly gathered for her. Fresh vegetables waited in a large tray and the colors on the small pieces of furniture reminded the silver-haired princess of her Nohrian home.

"We'll let you two catch up. If you want, we can have a bedroll delivered to this tent, Corrin," Alfonse offered.

The idea of sleeping during the day shocked her, but she settled as Lilith sounded happy to hang out with her as much as she could. It had taken her a moment to understand that this Lilith wasn't the Lilith she knew. After all it was impossible. People weren't summoned to foreign lands when they died… Or did they?

Once Sharena and Alfonse took their leave, Lilith gave Corrin some time to adjust herself to the new environment, waiting for her first question. It reminded the Hoshidan of how patient Lilith had always been with her as she grew up.

"How long have you been here?" Corrin finally asked.

Lilith gave her that pointy teeth smile that was so endearing.

"For over 8 months already. My Corrin had just started leading an army…" They both winced, and the small dragon apologized. "It's going to sound weird, but I can tell you're not the Corrin from my world. You've seen a lot of horrors, haven't you?"

"I've lost a lot of people," Corrin confirmed, fighting against the knot in her throat to keep her voice steady. "Including you." Lilith nodded, taking it in stride, so the Hoshidan went on. "We lost Xander. I was running earlier because of what they asked of me. I can't fight my brother…"

Lilith lowered her eyes at first, her tail unfurling from around her, waving around as an idea popped in her mind.

"So then, don't fight him! Your brother will be surprised to see you too, Corrin. No matter what happened in his version of our world, he'll know you. But you must keep in mind that Veronica's soldiers are all subjugated by a very dark magic. The heroes she summons. They don't get to chose on whether they want to fight for her or not. I'm glad it was Alfonse, Sharena, Kiran and Anna summoning me here. I don't know what that little girl would have done to me."

"Veronica is a little girl?!"

There was so much to learn about this new world. And so much darkness in it too. Corrin was far from done with the shocks.

_But who am I to judge a little girl leading an army? I've just been there…_

…

They had tried to explain it, and she could understand it on the surface, but all of it seemed just too confusing for Corrin. What world was she in that such powerful objects existed as these summoning orbs? They could call out and rip a person straight out of their own reality. _Impartial to what's going on. We just endured a war, I haven't woken up from that nightmare and I'm in a new one_ she couldn't help feeling slightly bitter, and could have sworn she could hear Elise's voice in the back of her head telling her that this mopey girl wasn't her big sister Corrin. Azura asking her to smile. Xander telling her to be stronger. She squinted, trying to push the faces and the memories away so she could focus on what was ahead of her.

"Through there," Alfonse's voice jerked her back to the present. They were on a lightly worn path through a sparse forest, and now that she was trying to focus on her surroundings Corrin could see that there was a crumbled pile of stone that once may have been called a wall nearly obscured by the snowfall. The trees had started to thin out during the last two kilometers of their walk She nodded in acknowledgement, hearing in her mind Elise asking where her talkative sister is hiding. They led their horses through an opening in the wall and dismounted on the edge of the ruins.

The forest had reclaimed much of it, collapsed and crumbled stone structures coated in a layer of moss beneath the layer of snow. Corrin suspected that the rooves of some structures must have been thatch that rotted away eons ago, leaving the shells of former houses standing like open boxes. It was difficult to fully take in the area, snow and new growth obscuring much of their surroundings, the brush underfoot making walking difficult.

"You need boots?" Shareena asked, "since you always run around barefoot I packed an extra pair." Corrin looked down at her feet and shrugged,

"No. But thank you, that is a kind offer." She answered the blonde woman, who shrugged and smiled, reaffirming that the offer would still stand should she change her mind.

"I don't know how you do it. I'm freezing even in my boots." Sharena continued. She had tried to insist Corrin wear boots to ward off the danger of frostbite and the dragon-woman had tried to humor her by wearing them. But the boots lent to her had felt half a size too small and after several hours she had taken them off when riding their horses, promising to don them again before stomping through the snow.

"Come on, let's go." Alfonse suggested. "These places make me feel… leery." They had been riding north for four days, and the prolonged period away from camp was making the young man agitated, each day spent on the road meant another day traveling back. He had only wanted to be away for a week, but the storm that dropped this snow had halted their travel for a day and he was anxious to get this mission over with and return back to camp.

"I only feel leery if this ruin is another dud. Did the kings of old never hear of gold?! I thought dragons hoarded shiny things like gold and jewels?" Anna asked, planting her hands on her hips and looking around. "There's got to be something other than orbs lying around." She tisked.

"You act like the orbs are meaningless." Alfonse chastised.

"Oh don't get me wrong, they're pretty damn useful. But just _once_ I'd like to find a lost treasure." She clarified. "Soldiers are nice, but pretty useless if we don't give them pointy things to stick in the other guys and armor to protect them from the other guys' pointy things. And after all the work I've done I think I deserve a little bonus." She huffed. "Well. Let's get started." She added quickly to cut off a protest from Alfonse, sure that he was going to chastise her for her attitude. "Hey, Lizard."

"Excuse me?" Corrin asked, quirking a brow.

"I'm just trying to make you settle down a little," Anna pat her shoulder.

"I don't think calling her Lizard is a good way to do that…" Sharena suggested.

"Point remains lizard-girl," Corrin could have sworn she heard _that's not much better_ mumbled from behind her. "do dragons just hoard gold? Can you find it?"

"I'm not a tracking dog for gold." Corrin answered. "And I spent much of my life in one tower. The library I had access to had almost nothing on my dragon ancestors so I can't really answer your question." She provided, and made to try and catch up with Alfonse who had clearly decided to give up on the girls and started setting to their task at hand.

"What specifically am I looking for?" Corrin asked. He had already explained to her that these orbs seemed to emanate from an old source of magic, their best scholars were still trying to research the objects. She felt unsettled at the idea of using such a magic that they didn't fully understand, but occupying herself with a task felt better than lying in her cot lost in thought and memory while Lilith did her best to try and cheer her. She could hear Azura in the back of her mind trying to reassure her that these people meant her no harm, and to allot them her trust.

"We've been to this particular place before. The orbs have tended to be a bit… scattered. Between time, looters, monsters. We've gone through most of this place but had to revisit it because of Mogalls showing up at night." Alfonse explained.

"Yeah, the little brats like to eat our orbs! Maybe some dragon blood got into the monsters too somehow." Anna suggested. She had her axe slung over her shoulder, and when Alfonse looked behind him he groaned at the sight.

"Please treat that axe with respect." Alfonse chastised, getting a pout from his red-haired companion. With an exaggerated sigh she held her weapon less casually, widening her eyes and jutting her jaw as if to say _better? _with an open palmed gesture. Apparently satisfied he turned his attention back to his surroundings, looking for something Corrin wished he had described better; said woman trying to hide a smirk when she looked over her shoulder and saw Anna swing her axe right back over her shoulder.

The small retinue moved into the center of the fallen structures, things growing more defined the deeper they progressed. Alfonse suggested looking for something that may have once been a library or a laboratory, and Corrin found herself wondering how that would even be possible unless they found books somehow intact after so long exposed to the elements, or laboratory objects not already picked by looters. _Need a new book from the library?_She squinted hard to try and push away Elise's voice echoing in her memory, cheerily volunteering Camilla to recommend something new. _You hated reading Elise._ She thought, and a sad smile found its way onto her face. Her elder sister always tried to push romance novels on her, and it was Leo who would bring her something more to her taste.

"Corrin?" She turned to the blonde woman who had come up to her, Alfonse and Anna searching the area.

"Just thinking about my siblings." She answered honestly. Sharena frowned, and pat Corrin on the shoulder offering a _sorry_ and a sympathetic smile. Something about her seemed honest, or at the very least as bad a liar as she was. "I'm okay. Happy memories," she insisted.

"Hey I think I got something!" Anna called, drawing her companions near. She had wandered through a broken doorway into what once have been a room only about the size of two of their tents. The one mostly intact wall had deep holes in it from the layout of the stone, and appeared to be a makeshift series of shelves built into the room itself. "As good a guess as any" she offered, pointing to the wall.

"A good place to start" Alfonse approved. "Let's start digging. And not with your axe!"

"Well you're no fun." She huffed. She set the axe down, hands on her hips. "Then with what?" she asked.

"Grab the latrine spade." He suggested.

"Huh… feel silly not thinking of that." He admitted. Corrin pondered the wisdom of shifting into a dragon, sure that her claws could make quick work of the semi-frozen ground and save everyone a significant amount of labor trying to dig in with their small latrine spade. A moan snapped her attention, the startle nearly causing her to shift with it so close to the forefront of her mind. _Calm down._ She chided.

"I have an idea." Corrin offered. "With my dragon stone when I want to, I can keep my head on straight when I turn into a dragon. I can probably dig faster than that spade." Alfonse looked contemplative, but the expression on his face flinched when Anna gave an approving whoop.

"Heck yeah! That'll speed this up! Maybe we'll even find buried treasure…." She trailed off, looking at the ground and Corrin wondered if the woman expected gold and jewels to spontaneously shoot up from the ground. Alfonse relented that it was probably a good idea and would get their task accomplished sooner, Sharena declaring her excitement of seeing Corrin turn into a dragon _without_ wanting to kill her and her brother.

"Kiran is sure missing out!" Anna declared watching the transformation happen. Everyone stepped away from Corrin, and when she looked down at them she could see the tense ways they held themselves, but turned her attention to the frozen ground and scratched at it. It was hard, but early enough in the season that the soil gave way with some effort. She began to dig, a rumbling in her throat at the effort.

"Should I still get the spade?" Sharena asked after a minute of watching, shifting her stance between her legs with her lips quirked into a half-frown. "Feels unfair to have Corrin doing all the work." She added when she felt her companions eyes burning holes into her.

"I'm enjoying the break." Anna insisted. "Besides, one hand… paw… claw? is scooping away five spadefuls of dirt a go!" She looked up when a deep noise reverberated through Corrin's elongated throat. "See? She agrees! Take it easy!"

"Still feels wrong." Alfonse answered, agreeing with his sister. But he couldn't pose a realistic argument. The small spade would make little progress compared to the work the dragon was already doing.

"We should take her on treasure hunts! Look at her go!" Anna cheered. A few more swipes at the dirt and Corrin chirped, the higher-pitched sound startling her companions who had been listening to the low rumbles. Alfonse took this as a clue, and looked into the hole corrin had made. Her claws had felt something hard, too warm to be ice, and had drawn back to investigate. Her eyes fell upon a multicolored sphere partially buried in the dirt,

"You did it Corrin!" Alfonse reached out and pat the Dragon's leg, forcing a smile through the nervousness written into his face with knit brows and wide pupils. Corrin tried to step back in the limited space that she had, another excited chirp when she saw Alfonse pull an orb from the ground. "We got one!" he announced, and held it out to Anna. "Stop giving me that look, we both know these are more valuable than any gold we can find." He added. She rolled her eyes and admitted her agreement. Corrin's head turned sharply when she heard the same moan from before, her more sensitive draconian ears able to distinguish it much easier.

"You hear that?" she asked, the rumbles coming out reminding her of her form and she shifted back, pressing a hand against her temple and began to look around for the sound, hoping to hear it again. "moaning." she clarified when she saw how confused her companions appeared to be. An echo of the sound had everyone looking around, and Alfonse suggesting they wait to dig for orbs until they figured out what this sound was, and eliminated what was most likely a threat.

"Monsters drawn to the orbs?" Corrin asked. He nodded, and soon the three women were following the Prince outside.

"By the gods!" Sharena yelped after they started pacing around. They all gave her chase, shouting confused series of _what is it?! _with weapons drawn and preparing for a fight. "It's a woman! She appears hurt!" They all came around and looked down at the blonde woman lying in the snow, hand clutched over her side as she moaned between rapid breaths. Her short hair was pink in places, frozen with odd patterns, blotches of dried blood spattered on her face. More stained her blue-trimmed white dress, the other side of her bearing scorched fabric and bearing the unmistakable stench of burnt flesh. Her face was partially swollen, obscuring her features and sealing one of her eyes shut, the other blearily looking up as her arm shook and tried to lift the lance sunken into the snow beside her, the fingers curled around it pale blue from being buried in the cold.

To be continued…

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Who's that lady in the snow? We're finishing the setting up of the story with the next chapter, please let us know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Here is chapter 2 ! Enjoy

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Once an Ally

Chapter 2 - Trapped

Alfonse's battle instincts kicked in, the young man quickly scanning their surroundings before giving out his orders.

"Anna, Corrin, could you survey the area? Just in case the people who did this to her are still around. Sharena, we're going to need warm water."

"O… okay!" His sister answered, trying to spot pieces of wood that would help her in starting a fire.

He had more knowledge in first aid among the four of them, and he knew he could count on Anna to be careful if she spotted any kind of danger. His steps were still careful as he closed in on the wounded girl, showing her his empty hands.

"I'm prince Alfonse of Askr," he greeted her quickly. "I have a few vulneraries on me and would like to offer assistance. You can let go of the lance."

Her pale blue eye stared at him for a long time, a shiver running through her entire body as she fought against the overwhelming pain. He spotted dried tears on one side of her face, anger seething inside. Was he asking for too much by hoping for a world where everyone could stay safe?

The blonde tried to speak up, but the only sound coming out of her was a shuddering moan and Alfonse kneeled next to her, quickly asserting the damage. She was wearing a torn cape laced with feathers that had once been white, graying with ashes from the fire she'd been exposed to. Blood stains on the snow traced her fragile steps up to her resting spot, the prince wondering why the symbols drawn on her clothes reminded him of something. Everything about her looked foreign.

"You must be freezing, and we need to stop the bleeding," he said, gesturing for the wound she was holding.

She blinked as quickly as possible, whimpering at the throbbing that came from behind her eye. Everything hurt. Alfonse removed his white cape, setting it in a bundle to support her head. He offered her water, gathering from the cracks on her lips that she had been running for a while. The poor thing was too weak to offer much resistance, merely tensing as a reflex, her trembling weak, her voice crackling on every sound she mustered. She coughed up on her second gulp, Alfonse taking away the gourd, turning his attention to the wound on her side.

"I… F…Fjorm," she managed.

"Is that your name? Fjorm," he repeated. "We're going to look after you now."

"The coast is clear," Anna called out from behind him, Fjorm jumping in fright.

Alfonse could only wonder if those wounds were due to a run-in with bandits or something much more sinister.

"We'll have a fire started in no time. I'll melt snow," Sharena suggested, taking out the small bowl she had tucked in her travel bag.

Alfonse focused on Fjorm, unsure whether he could move her around.

"Anything broken?" he asked her.

She shook her head, blond hair moving around, rough and sticking in places. Taking off his gloves, he noticed just how wet and frozen her clothes were.

"This can't be good. How long have you been out like this?"

Fjorm blinked at him, her eye losing focus, the shivers remaining, her breathing laborious. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed that Corrin had taken it upon herself to mount up a tent.

"The girl clearly needs fresh clothes and to be out of the cold," Anna observed.

"I don't…" Fjorm tried speaking up.

She had to be quite overwhelmed.

And overwhelmed she was. The young man, Alfonse was it? He encouraged her to keep pressure on her wound, lifting her in his arms with a grunt. The blonde girl he called Sharena took the lance from her hand, promising she would keep it close to her. Fjorm couldn't fully understand the other two voices, her hearing spotty, and _everything _ached. The burned flesh on her side was throbbing and her fingers tingled from being touched by Sharena.

"Is this frostbite, Alfonse?"

Fjorm had a protest ready, because the cold couldn't hurt her, the cold was familiar and so much better than the fire set ablaze on her skin but her voice was a weak moan, unbefitting of a princess and her brain was jumping back and forth from her time in a cell. The guards hadn't carried her like this then. She would be hurtled and shoved around, the princesses visiting her sneering and mocking her weak pleas. What should have been negotiations had become a nightmare and she wanted to wake up or to just sleep without a single dream, without any hint of pain wrecking through her.

"It's the early stage of it. Hold the flap open for me?"

Sharena did, Fjorm wincing as the movement jostled her weary bones. Her muscles were spasming in an attempt of keeping her warm and her feet felt frozen in her boots. She wished she could have gathered more layers, she wished she hadn't tripped on her feet a dozen times as she ran for her life, but she was this weak, pathetic pile of shivers now and there was no fixing it by herself.

_I'm a burden again. The first official mission my sister gives me, I blunder and now I'm having other people look after me!_

Alfonse laid her down as gently as he could, his hand warm against her forehead. She was chilled down to the bones. Was that why everything was so blurry when she managed to blink her eye open?

"We'll dress that wound and get you changed into dry clothes," Sharena explained after shooing her brother out of the tent.

"We…?" Fjorm croaked.

"The name's Anna. Are you a princess in distress from another kingdom? Your clothes look way too sophisticated for it to be anything else."

"I…"

Tears fell down as Fjorm thought of her people. Gunnthrá had no way of knowing what had happened to her, she might still believe the treaty was taking place, but every member of her retinue had been killed and Fjorm had found herself with no other choice but to run once she had reclaimed her lance.

"Don't bully her, Anna, she's in shock," Sharena reminded her friend.

"Just trying to make conversation," the commander shot back as she struggled with Fjorm's boots.

Sharena couldn't help a gasp of horror as the cloak came off, pulling on the raw skin, exposing bruising all over the young woman, and a long gash that was at least superficial. The scorch marks ran from her shoulder to her mid-thigh.

"I hope our clerics will be able to fix that for you. I'll clean you up quick."

Fjorm tried to hold on to her consciousness, but the pain was getting too much and she faded in and out.

Standing outside, Alfonse tried to gather some sort of clue to the wounded girl, Corrin spotting a spark among the snow first.

"Look what I found!"

It was a small circlet of gold with a diamond shaped sapphire nestled inside an array of gold.

"I think she might be from Nifl," Alfonse whispered, finally recognizing the emblem he'd seen on her tattered clothes. "She's a very long way from home."

Corrin felt sorry for the so-called Fjorm, but couldn't help wondering what her various sibilings would have done in front of the same situation in comparison with Alfonse. He hadn't even questioned the idea of helping her. Takumi would have been on his guard, expecting a trap. Leo would have said it was looking for trouble, but she knew extending a hand was the only way she ever wanted to answer.

They stood in silence for a while, Alfonse checking the fire, fighting against his urge to pace impatiently.

"What do you know about Nifl?" Corrin asked him.

If she was stuck in this world, she might as well try to understand it a little.

"They were in a war with Muspell. I don't know neither kingdoms very well," he admitted. "The news doesn't get this far."

"There's a lot of turmoil in this world," Corrin sighed.

Alfonse felt a pang of guilt at her comment.

"Like I said before, I don't intend to force you to battle if you'd rather not. If we weren't in such need of help, I wouldn't be summoning people away from their home."

"The other heroes you called so far. I bet they've handled it well after all?" she suggested.

The prince gave a stilted shrug.

"Most of them have. It takes time… Don't rush yourself, okay?"

Corrin didn't like the impression he treated her like a wounded child. She had been protected for so long, it had kept her away from all the truths she needed to take the correct decisions.

"If I came all the way out here, it's because I feel ready to face the music. I could never sit still back home."

Alfonse had no words for that, his eyes turning to the tent where Anna and Sharena were treating the wounded noble. Corrin couldn't rest easy with the silence and wondered if they'd ever summoned a hero who'd been in bad shape.

"Like… do you have any way to control the summoning like you did with picking me out?"

Alfonse turned back to her, looking taken aback. As he reflected upon his answer, a blush came to his cheeks.

"We try to summon people during decent hours to avoid some embarrassing situations. It happened once that we summoned a guy who had been in the middle of bathing… Wounded heroes were summoned a few times, but, nothing that we couldn't fix with our healers."

"It's perfectly random then," Corrin understood, "isn't it?"

They had tried to explain to her how certain orbs could provide a precise summoning, depending on a ritual that involved using something linked to the hero they wanted to summon. She had refused to hear much more about it, since it was hard to be angry at the only people she could depend on in this new world.

"I guess it's fairer that way," Alfonse sighed.

He knew it wasn't a perfect angle to look at things, since Corrin's situation was anything but fair, but she nodded back to him. A few more minutes passed, and she couldn't handle the inaction.

"How about I go dig for more orbs?" the half-dragon princess offered. "I can't do anything useful here."

"At least wait until Anna or Sharena can accompany you."

"I'll be fine on my own," Corrin decided, a challenge in her crimson eyes.

Alfonse understood the matter at stake and held on a sigh. He could have gone with her, but there was still blood on his hands from briefly holding Fjorm, and he really wanted to make sure the poor girl was fine before moving. It was hard to tell why.

"Just stay safe. Don't be afraid to call for help if anything comes up."

"Al, can you come here?" Sharena called from the tent, settling both of their minds.

…

On the following morning, Fjorm woke up wrapped in a white cape that smelled like old books and pine. Sharena greeted her with a smile and a small breakfast, Fjorm only swallowing two mouthfuls, her stomach churning in protest. It was hard to remember the last time she'd eaten anything. Corrin had gathered four more orbs by digging and also a racoon corpse, which she had called Anna's treasure, much to the red-head's displeasure, even though she played along with the joke if it meant bothering Alfonse.

As soon as it was determined their new protégée would handle the ride, the group collected their things, Alfonse insisting on keeping his cape around Fjorm. He climbed into the saddle and lifted her from Sharena's hold to have her sit in front of him. Weak as she was, the princess of Nifl laid against his chest, making herself small, a bundle of feathers and bluish blond hair. Her face was less swollen, both of her eyes open now. She looked at the prince from beneath her eyelashes, shifting around as best as she could, his left arm tentatively wrapping around her to secure her stance.

"Careful not to fall," he warned.

She couldn't help a small gasp as the very first step of the horse had her bumping into Alfonse a bit roughly. Trying to keep her distances from the man in this current situation was ludicrous. And despite how cold she still felt, she couldn't help her growing blush. Her face was basically lying in the hollow of his neck and she could smell the pinewood so well now. The white fabric around her was his cape.

"This feels a tad improper."

She couldn't see his own blush but guessed it from the nervousness in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I just don't trust the others to keep you on the saddle."

"I heard that!" Anna shouted, pretending offense.

Fjorm simply snuggled her face deeper in the white cape, her arms tightly held against her chest, her legs dangling by the side of the horse, counting the bumps her head made against his chest. It was a funny thing, how reassuring it was to know that chest would remain there at every new step his mount took.

"My armor isn't too rough?" he asked her after a few minutes.

"I'm fine," she whispered, her brows furrowing as she realized how thin the fabric of his clothes was from looking at the arm he kept around her. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm fine," Alfonse told her.

But the light brush of her hair against his chin was a bit unnerving, and he was glad for how cold the air was.

…

Corrin had managed to eat enough of her dinner to get Sharena to stop worrying. She pondered if everyone summoned by those powerful orbs got this one-on-one treatment, or if they were trying to make her feel more comfortable with the idea of combating her brother. Why am I even still here? She mused, and again thought of running away. Even if just to talk to him, find out why he was fighting with this Veronica. Xander fought for Garon. She reminded herself, and tried to blink away the image of her sister, her dear Elise, being struck down before her as Xander blindly followed their his father's orders. She dropped her chopsticks and stood from the table.

She looked around for the path she knew to the lake and bit down on her bottom lip, recalling there was no such place. She instead tried to remember where Lilith's shrine was, making her way through the rows of tents. The air was filled with smoke, cooking meats, unwashed bodies, wet leather, and mud. The familiar scents of a battle camp. Your dying wish was for me to see that peace you died for. Corrin thought, her eyes burning as she thought about Azura fading in her arms, having sung her song that allowed them to defeat Garon.

"And I'm pulled right back into war against my own family." She lamented, reaching into her breastplate, tugging on the chain around her neck. Next to the dragonstone was an elaborate silver pendant, and she bit her lip hard while looking at it. She could almost hear her voice singing to her, you are the ocean's gray waves. She would tease Azura saying she had never seen the ocean, so how did she know that she wasn't lying. Azura would just roll her eyes at her and call her childish, and resume her song. "If you were here…" she paused, squinting back the burning in her eyes. You'd tell me it's destiny. That I was brought here for a reason. She looked around the rows again, and thought she saw the small pond where Lilith was. She walked towards it, the pendant gripped hard in her hand.

She sat down next to the water, dipping her fingertips into it. She missed the lake, sitting on the dock letting her feet dangle, watching the minnows swim at her feet and the odd tickling when they gave her experimental nibbles. She remembered Azura promising to teach her how to swim, and she bit down hard on her lip as she squinted away another burn in her eyes. Hinoka tried, but their free time was limited.

"Corrin?" she flinched, turning to see Lilith coming out of the tent.

"Hi Lilith." She greeted, a genuine smile coming to her face. It was nice to see her dear friend again, regardless of the oddity of the circumstance.

"Welcome back!" she greeted, chirping excitedly and doing a quick twirl. "I missed you while you were gone, how did the little adventure go?"

"I missed you too." She told her friend about the long ride through the forest, and the strange ruins they came across. She counted their journey as a double success, they found those powerful orbs the Askrians were searching form, and were able to rescue a young woman. Destiny. She thought, hearing Azura's voice from the back of her memory.

"Wow! She's lucky you guys were out there. What were the chances." Lilith commented. Corrin nodded her agreement, trailing her fingers in small circles in Lilith's pond.

"Azura would have called it destiny." She spoke her thoughts aloud. "Elise would probably want to bring her candy to cheer her up and make her feel better." her voice began to crack, and she bit down on her bottom lip, her sharper canines drawing blood.

"I miss everyone too." Lilith sighed, dropping herself and resting her head on Corrin's knee. "But at least I know they're happy." She added. "So I can be happy too. Even if I miss them. And at least I get to see you again."

"You too Lilith." She smiled.

"You must be tired. Why don't you go to bed?" She suggested. She wasn't sure she would find a restful sleep, her restless tossing and turning would probably just keep Lilith up. But her friend had never complained, and if anything merely offered her words of comfort to chase away the quickly fading memories of the nightmares that caused her to thrash about.

"Yeah. I should." She agreed anyway. The little dragon lifted her head so Corrin could stand up, crouching to enter the small tent and sat on her bedroll tucked up against the tent's wall so she could peel off her layers of armor, and not for the first time found herself wanting for spare clothing as she slipped under the wool blanket, still in the long sleeved shirt and pants that kept her warm beneath her armor and drifted into another fitful sleep.

_._._._._.

The days were short, and her nights cut even shorter by the memories haunting her. Only in her sleep did Azura let her emotions show, and that wasn't a decision, the poor girl forced to go over the dreadful events leading her back to her old prison. Norh was cold, and the castle hadn't changed. The wide bed threatened to swallow her whole, the covers barely helping her stay warm.

Like she could feel warmth anymore.

Garon had won, defeating Corrin and breaking the poor girl as punishment for disobeying his will. Azura couldn't get Corrin's screams out of her head or forget the look on Sakura and Hinoka's faces. It was almost a good thing that Elise was gone. This way the girl didn't have to see her adopted sister reduced to a bloody corpse.

Azura had been singing to keep everyone fighting, trying to keep up with Corrin despite the ranks of Risen coming back for more. The blue-haired dancer had taken a hit in her rush to follow Corrin, Leo's sword had dug deep in her scalp, her hair covering the jagged scar that still felt tender even now.

It had been only four weeks since the fateful battle and being taken back by Norh. The lock clicked open as the maid brought her breakfast once again. Azura was already dressed in dark colors, as the country was mourning the crown prince. Only Xander was to be mourned, Elise left forgotten much to Camilla's dismay.

Azura didn't look at the maid walking in, instead focusing her attention on the glimpse of sky she could make out through the curtains. They had been nailed into the rock, bars making it impossible to try and pull them open. What little sun could shine on this land, and she couldn't even see a single ray. She tied her long hair in one heavy braid for this day, since letting it loose felt wrong. Her voice had stopped working. The only sounds she made were from the physical pain inflicted on her whenever she refused to answer a question. She was void of emotion in every waking moment. Like a ghost stuck inside of her own body, frozen down to her core.

Leo had slapped her twice as he questioned her, desperately aiming to learn the weaknesses of the Hoshidians still left. Camilla had visited her once, unable to talk either, simply staring at her, her eyes hooded with fatigue, her skin all puffy and red. Grief was etched into every one of her features and Azura could barely stand the look in those lavender eyes.

She had refused to cry except for her first night in captivity. Time was supposed to mend this fresh wound. Even with so many dear friends lost, it seemed she had no other choice but to survive. She was still looking for a meaning to her life in this place. Garon had made it sound like he wanted to marry her to Leo at some point. Keep her dynasty entwined with his. The prince wasn't happy about it, already nurturing feelings for another, but feelings were of little matter to their ruler.

_What use am I to him?_

She mustered her best bland look, raising the walls she had carefully laid around her mind to endure the assaults of blond-haired despots over the years, staying rooted to her chair as the sorcerer prince extended her a visit, dressed in actual clothes instead of his suit of armor.

"You're starting to look like a ghost, princess Azura," he sighed.

She stayed silent, stilling her limbs to make sure the quivers of fear wouldn't show as he approached her.

Leo's ears blushed under his pale hair, shame mixing with embarrassment.

"I'm not going to question you any more than I did," he declared, his eyes evading hers as he went on, "I… My actions were…"

Azura paled, unsure if she could deal with the real Leo who had been her friend back when they were children. She'd read stories for him and Corrin whenever the siblings found a chance to gather together.

Leo scratched at his hair, collecting himself as best as he could.

"What I meant to say is I'm sorry. My conduct was despicable."

A flash of pure pain glimpsed at her from his dark eyes, his eyelids quickly hiding it, the raw emotion staying with her as she wondered if he was still mourning his adopted sister.

_I'm just glad Corrin didn't get to…_

Her thought shattered on itself because while she didn't want to wish any suffering on Corrin, anything should have been better than a world without her one true friend.

"I'd like to make amends, especially since my father is dead set on our alliance."

"You could follow his example and take a few courtesans under your wing," Azura observed, unable to forget the disgust the prince had expressed when he'd first explained the arrangement to her.

Leo blinked at her, the color fading from his face. A broken smile stretched his face, a self-derisive chuckle soon following, Azura gulping down anxiously as she wondered if she wouldn't have done better to keep her mouth shut.

"That must be the most polite way I was ever rejected," he sighed from beneath his gloved hand. "I don't intend to force you into anything, lady Azura, I've already been a boar and a brute. I was hoping… Maybe I could give you a tour of the gardens…?" He gestured awkwardly at the room,"You don't have to stay confined in here." She couldn't help raising one brow at him, seeing as she was locked in her room all day long, Leo struggling to keep his cool. "Can I at least _try_ to be nice to my fiancée?"

"Is that truly what we…?"

Her voice shook halfway through the question, Leo wincing since he was a lost cause when it came to comforting people. His guilt eased some of her fear. He looked much smaller without his cape, and yet, it was the glimpse of grief she sensed from him that helped Azura in taking a full breath despite the fact he was standing in the same room as her.

It was a terrible fact that lately, Leo had been the one thing she personified as Garon. The evil King wouldn't come over to see her, but his will and claws were still finding their ways to her.

Why did any of his children obey him? Why couldn't they wake up and see how badly their people were suffering while they suffered just as much in their golden cages?

"It may look like a chain, but if you wear this ring, you can go out and around the castle as you please," he offered, holding up said ring for her to see.

Azura wanted to protest, because her heart had been the one thing belonging to her, but her resignation came back. It wasn't like there were many sane parts left in that heart to love someone. And walking out of her royally-furnished cell would be so much better than sitting here getting cold.

"No one will ask me to sing?" she asked.

It was a mistake revealing just how terrified she was of such a request, but Leo's eyes darkened with understanding.

"I know people would love to hear you, but you'll be free to keep your songs to yourself."

She heaved a deep sigh of relief, the hint of a smile showing.

"Thank you."

Azura stood up from her seat as Leo shook his head at her, unsure why she even felt the need to thank him. Her shoulders were drawn inward despite her best efforts to stand strong, her pale hand reaching out. The prince carefully kept his distance as he dropped the golden band in her palm.

"Am I free with that?"

"Well, as long as you don't try to… What's that light?!"

Azura blinked, her eyes unable to see through the veil of darkness covering her. The sensations in her limbs told her she was falling, but she didn't move. Her stomach did though, and she was glad she hadn't touched her breakfast. Bile burning up her throat was enough.

Had the ring been cursed by Iago? Had Leo trapped her in a different prison? What was happening to her?

The dizzying impression halted as suddenly as it had started, her knees buckling and hitting dirt, her hands catching her just in time. For some reason, the lance that had been kept in Garon's armory after her forced returned to Nohr thumped on the ground by her side. She would learn soon enough, the weapon had been summoned with her.

"Azura?" A female voice asked her.

Looking up with a startled expression, the princess held her breath, instantly understanding she wasn't in Nohr or Hoshido. This didn't even look like Valla.

"You know my name?" she whispered, her face and stance guarded as her fingers wrapped on the hilt of her lance.

She had no idea if the weeks spent in isolation had left her too weak to lift the weapon, but she wasn't going to hesitate when she didn't know what her situation was. The blond lady looking down to her with a kind smile and empty hands looked gentle enough, but the man standing behind with his hood pulled up and his hands buried in his pockets reminded her too much of past captors.

"We summoned you here. It's complicated to explain, but hopefully, we can be good friends when you get used to Askr. I'm princess Sharena and this is Kiran."

The man waved at her nonchalantly. Azura wondered if she was going to visit many more worlds in her life.

"Does this mean you could have summoned anyone at all and picked me of all people?" the blue-haired princess asked as she struggled to her feet.

She still felt quite light-headed, but her lance served as a good crutch.

Sharena frowned at the flatness of her voice.

"We…"

"It was a bad choice. I only bring bad luck to people," the singer sighed, closing her eyes shut as she willed away the pain usually coming with that thought.

It was her truth and she would accept it.

"That's such a sad thing to say!" Sharena protested. "I heard you were both a dancer and a singer and we need all the support we can get!"

Azura wanted to ask why she should be so inclined to even give lend them her support. She'd been bullied into taking a side before, trapped by circumstances and this felt only like a repeat of her fate to be an eternal prisoner. Bitter words threatened to cross her lips, but it was bile rising up that made its way up, the princess bending over and dropping her lance as she tried to hold back the urge to retch. It was to no avail, her breakfast from another world greeting the sand and stone on the ground.

"Oh dear…" Kiran turned as white as his coat.

"That's the travelling hitting you," Sharena explained, apologizing as she knelt by the girl to hold her hair for her. "I'm so sorry…"

She sounded genuine and it made Azura wonder if maybe this time wouldn't be different. She let Sharena help her back to her feet once the worst of it was over, feeling self-aware as she tried wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve. Her dress was covered in sand and dubious stains now, making her skin itch.

"We'll get you to our camp, so you can clean up and catch some rest. My brother is better at explaining the situation than I am," Sharena apologized once more.

Azura followed her, remaining tense until she saw one gray-haired girl walking between the tents. The lance she'd been holding nearly dropped from her hands at the sight. It had to be wrong, she remembered her blood on the mud and Garon's laugh, but those red eyes looked quite alive.

_Corrin._

To be continued…

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	3. Chapter 3

The fluffy friendship chapter we needed for the girls to get better after all the losses they had to face. Please let us know what you think!

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Once an ally

Chapter 3 - Reunion

_Azura_

It had to be impossible. But there she was, standing with the Askrian leadership. She blinked, rubbing the heel of her hand to her eyes and pondered for a moment if she had dozed off in her tent. But when she opened them again and still saw that familiar face through the narrow row between the tents doubt left her mind, her energy poured into her feet as she broke into a run.

"Azura?" she cried out, voice cracking and raising in question at the end of her name. The blue-haired woman seemed rooted to her spot, but when she came close to her, Corrin brought her arms up and wrapped them around her. She failed to halt her charge before embracing her, and together they crashed to the ground with a mutual grunt.

The impact seemed to jar Azura from her stupor. Corrin's arms were still wrapped around her waist, digging uncomfortably into her lower back, her face was buried against her chest, Corrin murmuring something she couldn't quite understand. A familiar desire to tease her rose in instinct, and for a moment she forgot that Corrin was _dead_. It took a moment for Azura to realize that Corrin wasn't mumbling against her chest. _She's weeping._ She knit her brows and looked down, finally lifting her own arms in response and wound them around Corrin's back.

"It's all right." she spoke before she could think of words, and they only made the sobs stronger as she stuttered on breath and in spite of how her arms were pinned, somehow embraced her tighter. She couldn't recall ever seeing Corrin so upset, save for the death of Elise. She blinked, a thought invading her might that drained the color from her face, head suddenly feeling far too heavy as her pulse raced in her chest. _I'm dead in some other world._

"Azura…" Corrin mumbled, her words difficult to discern between the sobs.

"I'm right here." She replied quickly. Both women were brought back to nights Corrin would wake with nightmares, soothed by her comrades with promises of _I'm here, you're here, we're both right here._ Having her repeat it until her breathing would calm, and repeat it she began.

"I… I'm here." she stuttered, finally releasing her embrace and pulling back, sitting on her heels, pressing a fist beneath her nose. Azura sat up, feeling her eyes burning and her throat beginning to burn. She locked with those familiar red eyes, swimming with tears.

"You're…. you're here." she whispered, the words coming with difficulty. The crack in Azura's voice was not unnoticed by Corrin, a frown adding lines to her face.

"What happened?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "How.. how are you? How are you here?" The question caused Azura to blink, sitting up straighter. Footsteps finally pulled her attention to something other than the miracle of her friend, alive, very much alive, sitting before her.

"Umm. Perhaps we can get you two somewhere more private to talk?" The blonde woman in the troop suggested. Her name had already fallen from her memory, as did most of the information the Askrians had tried to give her.

"Yeah. Lilith! Lilith will be so happy to see you!" Corrin jumped to her feet, holding out her hand, smiling down at her. She smiled, a genuine smile that pulled on her eyes and lifted her brows, and accepted it.

"Lilith is here too?" Azura asked while Corrin helped pull her to her feet. "Now I wish I had some onigiri with me." The bird-like dragon's favorite shrine offering was the simple rice balls, though she had always stuffed it with some marinated fish. She wondered if this world was an afterlife,and made a mental note to ask these Askrians more about how this summoning went. Perhaps Garon had cursed the ring Leo had held out to her to finally end her. _Maybe Lilith can make another pocket-world where we can just rest and catch up away from the rest of this._ she mused, noticing how many people were suddenly lining the narrow path watching this odd little show.

"Yeah! Come on, I'll show you the way." The excitement in her tone was simply so damned _Corrin_. She wanted to get away from all these curious eyes, though she scanned the rows for other familiar faces that died in the war. _Elise must be here too. Somewhere._ She was yet to decide if she hoped to see Xander. She nodded at the ash-haired girl, and looked to the Askrians.

"I'll call upon you later once you two catch up." Sharena suggested. Her brother stepped up and she held up her hand, looking over her shoulder. "That's fine, right Kiran?" she asked, and got a shrug in answer.

"I don't think she'll listen to us right now anyway if we tried to pull her away from someone she knows. Besides," she used a thumb to gesture, "this one here can turn into a dragon when pissed off. I don't recommend pulling our new friend away right now for a chit-chat."

"Thanks Anna." Corrin smiled, earning her a confused look from Azura who was almost offended on her behalf. The red-head shooed them off, and they gave a polite nod before walking down the row. With the show over spectators returned to their tents to speculate, and Anna turned to her companions after letting her gaze wander over the camp for a moment. "We should really consider charging rent for these tents. Imagine if we asked for just _one_ copper per person per month? Think of how much gold that would-_hrghk!" _she gagged at the end of her sentence as Alphonse gripped the back of her collar and jerked her away to follow him and the others back to their own tents to continue their debate over their next course of action.

"I can't believe you're actually here!" Corrin's smile was almost infectious enough to draw one on Azura's face. But she couldn't quite bring herself to be so cheerful about the afterlife. And it seemed there was some sort of war even in here. _How fair is it I lose one war, finally die, only to discover the afterlife is more war? Is this all there is?_ she started to muse, but Corrin's statement finally registered. Why would Corrin be _happy_ that she was dead?

"Where is _here_?" she asked, finally casting aside her preconception that this was some cursed afterlife.

"It's called Askr. They're… they're caught in a war. Like we were…" the cheerful tone in Corrin's voice dropped, her eyes remained steadfast forward as they continued through the rows of tents. "I don't know how they gather the information but they know about people from all different worlds. They knew about our war. They use these odd stones to summon people here." she summarized, curling her lip slightly. "That didn't make things much less confusing did it?" she asked, turning to Azura and lifting a brow.

"I suppose I understand. So… you were summoned here?" she asked.

"Yeah." her expression fell, head tilting down. "I was trying to learn how to sew with Sakura. She thought having something to occupy my hands would help me feel better. What were you doing when it happened?"

"Feel better?" Azura started, ignoring the question. Corrin stopped walking then, biting down on her lip. There was a pause before she answered the question, Azura allowing her the time she needed.

"I wasn't sure what to do with myself. Training, war. It was all I knew. And after…" she paused again, brow knitting and expression turning distant. Her hands clasped together, fingertips digging deep into the backs of her hands, knuckles flushing white. "Elise, Xander, Kaze… you."

"Perhaps we should continue this in private?" Azura answered, having to clear her throat to find her voice. Corrin nodded, scratching at the back of her hands causing the dancer to frown. She reached out, grabbing her friend by the hand and giving it a squeeze to cease her nervous motions.

"Yeah." She agreed, nodding. They spent the rest of their walk in silence, both of their minds racing with questions, and the questions they thought the other would ask. Azura tried to take in details of her surroundings. She disliked how trapped she felt here, though she assumed if this was indeed a war party they had selected quite the defensible location. But if she wanted to run, where would she go?

"Down here, you see that little pond?" Corrin pointed after changing directions. "Okay it's more of a large puddle… but that's Lilith's tent. Though she likes to sleep at the pond." Upon their approach Lilith took notice of the woman walking beside Corrin. She let out an excited chirp, twirling for a moment before rushing towards them,

"Azura!" she cheered, the dancer smiling back at her.

"It's wonderful to see you Lilith. Though I'm afraid I have no onigiri on me." She chuckled a bit, "nor do I have some fish. I only just arrived to… what did you call this place?" Azura turned her attention to Corrin.

"Askr."

"How far away from Nohr are we?" she wondered aloud.

"I… I have no idea." Corrin answered, Azura discerning from her tone the question had yet to strike her. "We can ask Sharena and Alphonse when you see them. They'll probably want you to go to their tent to explain everything."

"This camp is huge, do they typically dine and talk with every individual that they call upon? Even assuming a dozen people a day they would have had to do exclusively that to accrue such an army." to this question Corrin shook her head, shrugging a bit.

"I don't really get it all the way myself. But it's only some people that get special treatment. Yesterday I saw that shrine lighting up like there was a lightning storm but they just got one big lecture together from the looks of things." she provided, chewing on her bottom lip, "I should make it a point to ask them more about those orbs…" her cheeks heat up at the thought she was helping them collect such powerful items when she understood so little about them. "Well come on in, you probably want to sit down and rest?" she offered, walking over to the tent. She thumbed the toggles and opened the flap, gesturing for Azura to go in first.

The blue haired woman entered, and took her surroundings in. It was fairly large, which surprised her a bit since Corrin had explained this was originally Lilith's tent. There was a small low table, lacking a chair meaning that to be used one would have to kneel before it. There was a bed roll that looked hardly large enough to just fit one averaged sized human, a wooden crate at its feet. The tent's material was thin, but still provided some degree of protection from the wind outside.

"It's not much but it's temporary home." Corrin chimed from behind her, almost making her startle.

"No treehouse, but its something." Azura answered. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, blowing out a long breath of air and rubbing her face roughly with both hands. She looked up to see Corrin still standing in the doorway.

"I won't bite." she invited. She was suddenly acting almost as timid as the day they met. She took note of the girl, she was different from the one she remembered so dearly. Her hair was longer, and the circles around her eyes were darker. Her clothes even seemed a bit loose, rather than the form-fitting black uniform she wore beneath her armor. A scar ran from just before her ear, leaving an odd shaped earlobe before continuing on her neck.

Corrin crossed the room, sitting next to her on the bed as close to the tent wall as she could get herself. She idly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear in an all-too-familiar gesture. Whenever her hair had grown too long Corrin would almost obsessively tuck it behind her ear to keep it out of her face, until Camilla finally got her a headband and told her to stop fussing or her hair would become oily.

"Where did that scar happen?" Azura asked, and almost slapped a hand over her mouth at the rudeness of her question. Corrin reached up and touched the spot, thumb playing with the partially mangled earlobe.

"Got hit with a dragonslayer blade. Never healed right." she shrugged. "Don't really remember which battle. But Sakura gave me one heck of a lecture, you sang to give me a little more energy to get back up." a memory stuck Azura, of singing for a wounded Corrin during battle, getting a side grin that gave her a flash of those elongated canines before she rushed back into battle, Sakura calling out to be more careful her festals couldn't cure everything.

"You should let me braid your hair." Azura asked after a moment. "You always braided mine, I never got to return the favor." she added, her hands folded neatly in her nap, eyes moving away from the dragon princess to taking in more of her surroundings, though there wasn't much more to see.

"I usually just pull it to a ponytail, guess I can try something new." Corrin answered her, reaching up to pull the ribbon that held it up. Her ashen hair fell in wavy locks around her shoulders, framing her face in a way that made her look far younger. She shifted on the bed so her back was to Azura, the other woman scooching closer to her so she could better reach her hair. As she divided it into three locks, she felt the old urge to sing rise in the back of her throat, and bit down on her lip to keep it back. Instead, to fill the silence, she heard Corrin humming a song, which cut off sharply after only a few notes.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked. She almost finished humming the interrupted notes back to Corrin to encourage her to continue, but her shoulders were starting to shake.

"That… that song." she stammered her words, hesitating. The rest of her sentence sounded crazy to her own head. With Azura sitting there right behind her how could she state so plainly that that accursed song had taken her away? Then she began to wonder… had Azura merely been summoned during that horrible battle with Garon? "What were you doing when you were summoned?" she asked in place of her explanation. Azura squinted one eye skeptically, but decided not to probe about the deflection just yet.

"I was in my… room." the word came out more difficult, that dark and cold room more of a cell. The small tent threatened to bring back those feelings of claustrophobia, the sense of being trapped forever. She looked over at the tent flap, the toggles undone and it flapped open lightly in the breeze. _I could bolt from here right now should I want to_ she told herself, and found comfort in the words; though dashing from Corrin's side after finding her deceased friend very much alive and well was not what she truly wanted. "Leo came in. Garon had betrothed us and he was coming to give me a ring, so I could walk around the castle more. I thought it was the ring that brought me here…" her voice grew an airy quality as she mused over the final words, tilting her head slightly recalling Corrin mentioning something about orbs when casually talking about summoning. _Maybe it was just a coincidence_.

"You weren't… you weren't singing?" Corrin asked. Azura noted that her hand went up to her neck, though she couldn't tell what she was doing.

"Are you all right?" she asked, tilting her head further to attempt to see what she was doing. Her hand was over her chest, her thumb idly brushing over her armor. Corrin lifted her arm further, reaching into her collar to tug on a metal chain, pulling it loose from where it was tucked in her armor, holding it high so Azura could see. She nearly gasped as she looked at the object tangling on its end.

"My pendant?" Azura asked, and pressed a hand to her chest and was surprised to find it still against her chest. _I'm obviously not the same Azura as the one in her world. Nor is she the Corrin from mine_. She bit down on her lip, tears stinging her eyes. She tried to refocus on her braiding of Corrin's hair.

"You aren't her. But you are her… it's really confusing." Corrin admitted, a scratch in her voice. "You… she? died singing to keep Garon imprisoned so we could fight his army and finally defeat him." she continued, bringing the pendant back into her own lap. _You died… I couldn't even talk to you one last time Garon just struck you down. Did I not sing hard enough? Did… did I kill you through my inaction?_ She took in a breath, letting it out slow, counting in her head to try and regain a sense of control and ground herself. To push away the image of Corrin's mangled corpse under Garon's draconic claw, and instead of the princess sitting cross-legged on this small bed before her, whose hair was in her hands while she braided it in return of the favor given to her before battle countless times. "I'm just so happy to see you again." Corrin broke the silence, and Azura let a small smile come to her face.

"I'm happy too." she answered, sighing as Corrin resumed humming her song.

"Perfect." Azura declared once she tied off the end of Corrin's hair with the ribbon she had been using. The dragon princess reached up to run her finger over the tight braid and smiled,

"I usually just pull it into a ponytail off to the side to keep it out of the way, and so no one could pull it from behind." she explained, and recalled her brothers. Loneliness crept back into her heart for a moment before Azura drew her back to the present preventing her from falling back entirely.

"That's the same reason you cut it short." she answered without thinking, her face growing hot when she realized how odd it sounded. She played with the end of Corrin's braid for a moment before the girl turned to look over her shoulder, shifting so she was sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs dangling over the edge, foot tapping against the ground.

"I used to think about cutting my hair short when I was little but my… Garon used to tell me it was un ladylike and Xander used to threaten to lock me in my room until it grew back out if I ever cut it short." Corrin flushed at her explanation, hands folded in her lap. "Camilla would always tell me my hair was pretty long and kept trying to talk me into keeping it down instead of ponytails all the time." she continued. "Well we should get you up to the command tent before Alfonse and Sharena get impatient with me." she suggested.

"Are they trustworthy?" Azura asked.

"I think so." Corrin answered with a shrug. Azura wanted to trust Corrin's judgement, but remained skeptical. "We better get going then." She stood up, straightening her skirt a bit and giving her hair a quick comb-through with her fingers. "After you." she gestured. Corrin smiled at her and walked through the tent flap, holding it open for Azura to come out. She squinted, adjusting to the brightness outside surprised the tent did such a good job obscuring light.

"You never told me what happened when you were brought here." Azura stated in way of a question. Her heart pleaded for her to answer _fighting Garon._ But she knew this wasn't the same Corrin she lost.

"Walking around the lake." she answered. "I have trouble sleeping at night and went for a walk." She left out the part where, like she did nearly every night, she debated throwing the accursed pendant into the water. Her hatred for the object that murdered her friend conflicted with the deep sentimentality causing her to cling to that last relic.

"I have trouble sleeping too." Azura concurred. "Perhaps we could bunk together for a short while. The idea of sleeping alone in this place is… unsettling. We may each sleep better with a familiar presence nearby."

"Yeah! I've been meaning to give Lilith her tent back anyway. Though she sleeps by the water so I don't know if it even makes a difference…" her nose scrunched up with thought, getting a chuckle out of Azura. _Gods, I missed her laugh. When was the last time I heard anyone laugh?_ she thought to herself. "Just hope you don't need too much personal space. Most tents are pretty darn small. Lilith's is just big as a special case. I guess they just think she was adorable." Corrin explained.

"Have you thought about running away?" Azura asked her after an extended silence. Corrin paused for several seconds before answering with a short nod.

"Several times. But I don't know where to go. We're surrounded by forest and mountains. And these are people asking for my help… and they're my best chance at getting close enough to my brother to _talk_ to him."

"Xander is here?" Azura asked, brows shooting up. Hope glimmered in her heart again.

"According to Alfonse and Sharena yeah. They'll probably explain more but I'll give you the rundown they gave me." Corrin started, and explained everything she could remember about this war against the girl Veronica. The more she talked, the most pessimistic Azura began to feel about their circumstances. She didn't think she was ready for another war again. She curled her fingers at her side, tempted to reach out for Corrin's hand, for that familiar calloused grip, to remind her what friendly contact she felt like. Sitting on that small bed roll braiding Corrin's hair was the calmest she had felt in weeks. But she halted, feeling a bit awkward walking down the rows needlessly holding Corrin's like a lost child.

"Maybe once he sees you he'll figure…" Azura stopped her thought. Simply seeing Corrin was unlikely to get him to change sides. She watched him cut her down, wipe her blood against his horse's saddle blanket to resheath his sword and gallop away with his army without even offering her a proper burial. "Maybe he'll come to reason." she forced the words out, reaching out to grip Corrin's shoulder. "You know. Now that I think of it. It's quite odd seeing you without your armor." she commented.

"Oh." Corrin looked down at herself and shrugged. "I have it with me, I was wearing it when they summoned me but it's literally _all_ I had for clothing. I mean, unless I want to stink I have to wash my clothes so they gave me these." Corrin explained, and looked over to Azura. She wasn't in her usual dancer attire, rather she was wearing a more traditional red Nohr dress that was more modest than her white and blue garment. "Weird to see you in red."

"It feels weird to _be_ in red."

"I'm sure they'll give you some clothes too."

"How do they have the money to buy so many uniforms?"

"I don't think they do. Most people I see walking around look like they have their own clothes." Corrin explained, then began to wonder why she was given preferential treatment. Was it all part of their ploy to sic her on her own brother? She made a mental note to ask them. When the command tent came into view after making a turn in the rows she pointed, the pair finishing their walk.

Corrin could make out voices on the other side and paused, wondering if they had started some meeting that she would be intruding on. She absentmindedly rubbed at her cheek, remembering a time her father had visited her tower when Xander was there for lessons and the mistake it was to enter the room that served as her office while they were talking.

"Should we go in?" Azura asked when she paused. Corrin hesitated to answer, then shook her head.

"Sounds like they're talking." she answered.

"Well they are expecting us." Azura tried to reassure her.

"Yeah you're right." She looked for a bell, or a piece of wood to knock on, or anything else to announce their presence besides simply walking into the tent. "Hello?" she called. The conversation inside stopped, and after a moment the tent flap opened and Sharena broke into a smile.

"Hey! Perfect timing, we were just talking about you." then she quickly put up her hands, "nothing bad I promise." she invited them in and the pair looked at the table. Corrin recognized all but two faces, cocking her head slightly and waited for Sharena to offer an explanation. Azura was a pace behind her, and Corrin finally started walking towards the two open seats at the wooden table when she felt her friend's hand on her shoulder. She sat down, and was grateful that the other empty seat was right beside her, and on the side of the table closest to the tent's opening.

Once sat down Corrin took stock of her surroundings. On the table was a pitcher, mead she assumed. Plates with bread and fish, a fact she found curious and wondered if they had to trade for that fish or if there was a body of water nearby. Sharena introduced Azura to everybody; Kiran in his white hooded jacket, face down in his folded arms on the table, partially asleep if his breathing pattern meant anything. Alfonse was drumming his fingers on the table and based on how he was vibrating Azura assumed he was bouncing his leg. Anna was tilting her chair back, a mug in her hand waving when she was introduced, and at last Sharena repeated her own name.

They began to explain their situation to her, and she gripped her hands in her lap until her knuckles flushed white. She bit down on her tongue, eyes focused on the table to keep herself from trying to read too hard into their expressions. She let out a hard breath through her nose, almost expecting someone to slap her in the back of the head for the disrespect. She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up quickly to catch Corrin's face. She had a soft smile on her face, and Azura took a long breath to let it out slowly and released the grip on her own hands. She was provided several seconds to speak, silence hanging in the air. Anna winced, pouring herself more mead and taking a long swig, eyes shifting to Kiran still fast asleep and gave him a hard kick in the shin.

"Wake up already!" she barked, the man flinching and sitting up, looking around blearily before leaning against the table, this time to pick at the half-eaten piece of bread on his plate.

"Corrin… I know this is a lot to ask of you but we've given you several days to get acclimated. We want you to join our ranks as a tactician. Like you did back in your world."

"Do not make me murder my own brother." She demanded in answer.

"We are asking you to defeat Veronica." Sharena clarified. Her gaze turned to Anna, lips thin as she conveyed an unspoken threat, Anna holding up her palms and shaking her head. "But we need your help. We'll introduce you to the other tacticians soon" Sharena continued. "We've had a tent erected for you in the tactician quarters of the camp. You'll be pleasantly surprised I think, it's bigger than the tent you've been staying in."

"Are you bribing me?" Corrin asked, lifting a brow.

"Not at all!" Alfonse interjected before his sister could. "All tacticians get the same accommodations." He explained.

"What about Azura?" Corrin asked, giving the young woman's hand a squeeze.

"She can stay with Genny in the support quarter until we get our latest supply caravan to put up a tent for her and the other latest summons." Sharena offered.

"May I stay with Corrin instead?" Azura asked quickly. She flexed her fist, slipping her hand out of Corrin's to grip her own hands, knuckles white, hands aching as she dug her fingertips into the backs of them.

"Of course." Sharena answered, her brows shooting up. "I don't know why I didn't just think of that in the first place…" she trailed off with a mumble. "I'll have an extra bedroll and crate brought to Corrin's tent."

"Thank you" Azura answered, gripping her hands harder. Her eyes were locked on a knot in the wood table, her brows a bit furrowed as she tried to focus on the words being said over the drone of her pulse in her ears. _Prisoner again. You're just a prisoner again._ her mind insisted. Her shoulders tensed, making a muscle stand out in her neck, and she licked her lips before pressing them together.

"Perhaps we shall let our new ally get some rest," Alphonse cut in after hearing the dancer's shoulder click when she shifted in her chair slightly.

"I am quite tired." Azura agreed, wanting out of this tent that suddenly felt too hot. She glanced over at the tent's opening, looking for something barring her exit. She flinched when she saw movement from the corner of her eye, settling herself and standing up beside Corrin.

"I'm gonna finish drinking and eating, you guys go pass out" Anna saluted. "Though you didn't touch your food. Mess hall should still be open, get something to eat before the cooks get pissed and go to bed." she suggested.

"Are you hungry Corrin?" Azura asked,

"No, I ate not long ago." she answered.

"I think I just want to lie down and just process."

"I need to check on our wounded ally." Alfonse explained before getting up to leave the tent as well. Corrin wondered why said wounded ally was being personally looked over by one of the Askrian leaders or if their latest battle just had so few casualties he could see to them himself.

Kiran was still picking at his food, Anna taking to flicking crumbs of bread at him getting a middle finger in return before both of them chuckled a little and Anna went back to drinking her mead.

"We're a little short on blankets… but there's a market in the next town over." Sharena started. "To the south, I can have one of our troops familiar with the area escort you there." The pair following her tried to listen and retain information as she explained that they would indeed be paid for their services, though some of the details of it failed to register. "Here we are," she stated, smiling and gesturing at the tent she was standing in front of.

It was larger than the one Corrin had been sharing with Lilith, and made of a thicker material. The front flap was covered by a banner that detailed Corrin's status as Tactician bearing the Askrian colors of white and gold. Sharena pulled the banner aside, the toggles on the tent flap were already undone and gestured for Corrin and Azura to enter. The pair ducked under the Askrian's arm to enter. There was a thick bedroll on the floor with a wool blanket folded on top of the wooden crate at the foot of it. On the other side of the tent was a desk with a chair, furnished with parchment, an ink bottle, and a quill. A crude map was on the center of the desk, small wooden figures. It took a moment for Corrin to notice a small sack on the center of the bed roll, and she wondered if it was more clothing.

"That's just a little something for you." Sharena explained, gesturing to the small satchel. Corrin hesitated for a moment but gave the blonde woman a smile and walked over to the bed roll, kneeling down to open it. She pulled out a white and gold tunic with the Askrian emblem on the chest, "That's for you to wear on missions over your armor. So the troops know you're their tactician." she explained. "And there's a little something else too," she brought her hand up to her mouth, chewing her thumbnail. Corrin reached into the sack and pulled out a small wooden dragon, painted in an array of colors. She smiled at it, her thumb brushing over the wood.

"This is very nice of you!" she cheered. "But-"

"Not buts. We got off to a bad start… we're asking an awful lot of you." she explained. Corrin walked over to the desk and placed the dragon figure atop it, turning back to Sharena.

"Thank you."

"We'll have someone come drop off a bed roll for Azura." Sharena explained. "A uniform as well." she added when she noticed the dancer's dress. "Before you protest we issue everyone we summon a uniform until they have a chance to go to the market to purchase their own clothing." the explanation didn't ease doubts, the pair wondering how they managed the coin to pay for that many uniforms. Corrin herself was never able to provide such for her own army, relying on them to provide their own clothes. Food sometimes had felt like a stretch. _But home for everyone was obtainable. Everyone here was pulled from another reality. No money, no clothes, no resources. Nothing._ _How do they motivate an entire army in those circumstances?_ Corrin mused. She wasn't even sure herself how she felt about fighting with these people. With few other options, she reluctantly chose to place her trust in them, rather than fall into scepticism.

"Thank you Sharena." Corrin smiled. Sharena returned this smile, wishing them good rest and parting from the tent. "Azura you can go lie down, I'll wait for the other bed roll if you're tired." Corrin suggested, sitting down at the desk chair.

"I'll wait. It feels rude not to. But thank you for the offer." She smiled, then looked down at her clasped hands. Her throat began to hurt, her eyes burning. She squinted, biting down on her bottom lip and sitting on the foot of the bed roll.

"Azura?" Corrin asked, her brows knit. She stood up, crossing the small space and kneeling down beside her.

"I… I feel so confused." she admitted. "I was a prisoner… locked away like some treasure. I would have done anything to escape. I get pulled here and… I'm just so _happy_ to not be back there anymore. But now I realize I'm just in another war again. I'm just trapped again." The words came before she could halt them, and by the _gods_ did it feel good not to for once. "I missed talking to you." She added in a whisper.

"I missed you too…" Corrin answered, leaning her head against Azura's shoulder. "But I'm here now. And you're here now." she suggested, nudging Azura's shoulder with her own. The dancer let out a light chuckle, tilting her head to lean it against Corrin's. She flushed a bit, relaxing her palms in her lap.

"I'm so tired I could fall asleep just like this." Azura admitted. Corrin thought about offering her the bed roll again but knew that Azura would refute it.

"I wonder what everyone back home is wondering." Corrin asked aloud. "Camilla must be losing her mind." she frowned, and wished there was a way to get a message back home that she was okay. But there were people _here_ who needed her, and Azura was here. She wanted to focus on that, something happy to latch onto.

"Garon is losing his mind." Answered simply, and couldn't help the smile at the idea that the bastard had something go against his plans. While not the kindest to her, she did at the least hope that no harm would come to Leo as a result of her disappearance. Corrin frowned at this, sitting up so she could turn to look at her,

"Garon?" she asked. "You were still fighting him?" Azura hesitated, not wanting to ruin this little bubble of serenity she had found. She let out a long breath, hanging her head and weaving her fingers together again. "We lost the war Corrin." she stated. "You…" she paused, knitting her brows together. "Her? I… I don't know. You were struck down by Garon. During the final confrontation… we lost. Nohr won." she continued. Corrin flinched, her neutral expression furrowing, eyes downcast. "Please don't dwell on it." Azura asked, seeing the shift. "I didn't want to make you sad again."

"In my world… we won." Corrin explained, wondering if this would help ease some of the pain she could hear in Azura's voice. But a truth got stuck in her throat, unsure she had the courage to admit it. She remembered it. She remembered being slain by Garon. She woke, Lilith by her bedside, presented with a choice. And the option to accept rest had been almost overwhelmingly tempted. Had she simply caved to temptation in some alternate world? Had she given in to her own desire instead of helping everyone to win the war? She bit down on her lip and looked away, unable to meet Azura's gaze until she could banish the thought from her head.

"That's wonderful." Azura answered, a genuine smile returning to her features. "At least there's one world where he was stopped. I wonder if this means there are more? But… I'm too tired to think about it much more." she admitted, and yawned, pressing the back of her fist over her mouth.

"Oh don't do that-" Corrin complained before yawning herself. Azura chuckled, apologizing, and asking how they defeated Garon. Corrin frowned, sitting up straighter causing Azura to sit up herself. A silence hung between them, and she knit her brows.

"I didn't mean to…" she trailed off, not sure what words she was searching for. But Corrin quickly shook her head, looking up and smiling.

"Together, that's how." she provided.

"I can almost hear Takumi rolling his eyes at your sentimentality." Azura chuckled. Their conversation was interrupted by a voice outside the door. Corrin told Azura to stay put, getting up herself to answer the call. A tall unfamiliar man in a green uniform held out a bedroll and wool blanket to her; she thanked him and watched him walk a few paces away before letting the tent close, dropping the roll to the carpeted floor of the tent before fumbling with the togglers to keep the flap closed for the night.

"I'll set it up for you." Corrin stated quickly when Azura motioned to move. She gave her friend adequate space away from her own bed roll, and laid the blanket down for her. Once finished they swapped places, Corrin taking her roll and Azura lying down on the newly obtained one. Corrin began to lift her shirt off, and the dancer felt a hard blush coat her cheeks until she realized that her friend had an undershirt beneath the loose top that she was rolling up to use as a pillow, lying down on it and pulling the wool blanket up to her shoulder. "Do you need something for your head?" Corrin asked.

"I can ball up part of the blanket." Azura answered, lying on her side. She rolled so she was facing Corrin, startled by how powerful of the feeling of being trapped was when she was staring at the desk, the tent growing darker as dusk fell upon them. "I feel like a child sleeping so early."

"You're tired, sleep." Corrin insisted, yawning again. Azura caught her yawn, and let her eyes close with the sharp exhale. She curled up on her side, a habit that had developed during the weeks since the fall of Hoshido.

A sudden yelp jerked Corrin from her sleep and she was on her feet, her palm slapping against her thigh as she cursed the fact she hadn't ensured Blazing Yato was beside her when she fell asleep. Her eyes flicked around the tent until she realised Azura was sitting upright, palms over her face.

"Azura?" she asked, knitting her brows together.

"Corrin?" she asked back, her voice high with a scratch to it.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and the dancer nodded.

"Nightmare… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." she bit down on her lip, hands folded in her lap. "Like I said… I haven't slept well in a long time." She remembered that empty room, how cold and drafty it would get when the wind blew. How damned lonely she had grown without companionship. The din of the tent-city around them brought her back to the war, and she felt like she was losing her mind. Conflicted between harsh memories of war, and the overwhelming seclusion, nightmares invaded her sleep with fractured images that the only sense she could pull from them was the intense fear and isolation they made her feel. "I'm not…" she hesitated, feeling childish and curled her lip, lying back down. "Go back to sleep."

"You're not what?" Corrin probed, brows knit together.

_I'm not ready for another war._

"I'm not sleeping well tonight" Azura answered instead. "I was so alone in that tower…" she trailed off, unsure how to face the thoughts in her head.

"Is that why you can't sleep tonight?" Corrin asked.

"I don't know." Azura answered in herest.

"Move your bed roll closer. Maybe if you have someone you can see or hear you won't feel lonely and you can sleep" she suggested. Azura smiled in the darkness, nodding at the suggestion and whispering a quiet _okay_ before getting up to move everything over until she was just beside the other princess. She laid down, her heart racing in her chest for a moment before she closed her eyes, finding her center to will herself to calm down. Corrin reached out a hand, Azura feeling her fingers brush her arm before she reached out in response, gripping her hand and closing her eyes as serenity found her once more.

"Sorry I woke you. Goodnight Corrin."

"Goodnight."

To be continued…

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More to come soon, with more Alfonse and the first mission of Corrin and Azura!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alfonse had insisted the meeting they would hold in preparation of their next move regarding Veronica's army had to take place in the tent where Fjorm was kept. A few healers had seen her, treating her burns and frostbite, but now the lost princess was battling a fever that wouldn't go down with the help of vulneraries or festals. Kiran, Sharena and Anna had to remember to speak in hushed tones so they wouldn't prevent Alfonse's charge from resting.

"You're very protective of her," Sharena observed.

"It's just seems fair, seeing how badly she was treated."

They had yet to understand who had done this to her and Alfonse was very worried about the potential enemies waiting for them. They could barely handle Veronica's forces as it was, so adding one more opponent… He needed to know more, knowledge truly was the only reason why he even worried about Fjorm. It had nothing to do with the strange feeling he'd felt carrying her in his arms and unto his horse. He'd helped other wounded soldiers before, the fact she was a princess didn't concern him, he was having Kiran summon princesses out of their homeworlds on a daily basis.

_Feels wrong when I phrase it like that… _he thought.

"How are our supplies?" he asked Anna, hoping that would close the subject.

He didn't need to question his own intentions right now, there was too much on his mind already.

The commander slapped her hand on the hardcover of their books, her light smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"We have enough food to make it through three more weeks, but there were raids on the nearby farms. We might have to steal from the villages in Veronica's territory at this point."

Sharena shook her head at that, her voice coming out stronger than intended, "We can't act like them, we're here to protect everyone, it's not the villagers fault if Veronica set her army right next to their fields."

"But they are feeding her soldiers in exchange for survival, Donnel already explained what was going on out there," Anna pointed out.

Donnel was a villager from the land of Ylisse they'd summoned not too long ago. He was a prodigy as a fighter, despite how barebone his equipment was -the guy was wearing a pot for a helmet and using a stick instead of a lance. They'd sent him on reconnaissance missions a few times to get a feel of the situation in Veronica's territory.

"We'll need more people protecting the restocking routes so we can have enough supplies sent from Askr," Alfonse declared.

Anna nodded. Their convoys had been attacked so many times, they weren't sure which route to use anymore, and the war was turning into a battle of attrition.

"Too bad we can't summon rations, huh, Kiran?"

The tactician didn't even move to acknowledge the red-head, stifling a yawn.

"So sorry for cutting on your 18 hours of sleep," Sharena chided him with a teasing smile.

Kiran huffed a bit too loudly, Fjorm moaning from her side of the tent and the instant glare coming from Alfonse's eyes was enough for his friends to quiet down.

"We'll have Reinhardt and his sister focusing on the convoys's protection. Back them up with Virion and Jorge."

"No close-combat fighters?" Sharena observed.

"They can pick one or two, but we need our troops focused here," Anna declared, taping a spot on the map unfolded on the table between them before going on, "According to Kaze, we will be having company in about three weeks."

"I want to say we take the fight to them before their troops get any closer to our camp," Alfonse started, "but can we even mobilize quickly enough?"

Kiran grunted, reminding them of the number of soldiers they had available. It sounded like they needed to make a lot more summons to feel confident about a straightforward battle, otherwise, they would have to corner a platoon or two of Veronica's army to hold their ground against them.

"We could drive them to follow us down the maze of Anankos," Shareena suggested.

"We will all be at risk of getting lost," Alfonse sighed, "but it would definitely help spreading them out. I can play the bait."

"It's my idea, I should be the one taking the risks!" his sister protested.

Her voice rose enough to wake Fjorm from her feverish daze, the Muspell princess shivering as she shrugged off her sheets and looked up at them.

"What risks?" she inquired weakly.

Alfonse sighed, getting to his feet and walking to the side of her bed, bringing her covers back up.

"I think we should adjourn this meeting for now," he told his friends. "Tomorrow at noon, we'll talk about it again."

Sharena wanted to tell him this maze idea was the perfect occasion to offer Corrin a chance to corner her older brother and have a talk with him if it was possible, but she could tell Alfonse wouldn't be able to focus now. He wanted to be everywhere at once, and she wanted him to worry about only one thing at a time if possible. He was under a lot of pressure as the crown prince, despite the very short age gap between the siblings.

Anna suggested escorting Kiran to his own tent, while the Askran princess stayed back long enough to make sure her brother didn't need her to fetch anything for Fjorm.

The blonde girl was still very wary of every one of them, Alfonse's voice the one thing that didn't make her jump out of her skin with contained fear. He gently pushed Fjorm back against her pillows, careful to only touch her shoulders as he did so.

"No one's any risk right now," he promised. "How are you feeling? Hungry?"

Sharena knew they had cheese, bread and wine at the ready in this tent, and seeing how flushed Fjorm was, she had an inkling it wasn't just her fever acting up.

"Don't be shy of asking, Fjorm," Sharena called from her side of the room, slowly stepping towards the tent's flaps. "We want you to recover quickly."

Fjorm smiled back at her, although weakly, her blush intensifying. Sharena waved at the pair, taking her leave before hearing the small "sorry" the princess uttered.

"Why would you be apologizing?" Alfonse asked her.

"I'm such a burden to you all," Fjorm explained herself.

He shook his head at her, surprised to feel the urge to hold her hands as he wanted to comfort her. He was a protective guy, but he usually preferred to give people space, since he wasn't that fond of having someone invading his personal bubble.

"I decided to help you of my own accord and so did all of my friends."

"You can order them to," Fjorm mustered, pulling the sheets a little more tightly over her.

"I could, but I don't need to. How about focusing on healing right now?" he offered, giving her a glass of water.

His gestures were careful, his hand clasping over hers to help her hold the drink since she was still very weak, Fjorm mentally chiding herself for how much she trembled. She had been trained to be stronger than this, she was a fighter and a mage. But the bruises all over her back and face were still aching, not to mention her extra raw skin.

"Thank you," she managed in between two short gulps.

Alfonse couldn't remember the last time he'd seen someone this tense. He gave her some time to drink a little more, hoping she would settle down, but her shoulders remained held forward and her eyes darted to the spot in the room where her lance was kept. Her circlet was waiting on a bench serving as a night table by the side of her bed.

"Would you mind telling me what happened to you?" Alfonse asked her softly.

Just thinking back on a parcel of what had happened to her most recently, her eyes filled up with tears and she could see his face falling.

"There's no need to…!"

"I'm sorry," she cut him off. "I know the answers to this question are the best I can offer to repay your help."

Alfonse was afraid she'd heard him dismissing the reasons for which he was helping her.

"You don't need to tell me anything!" he assured her, holding her shivering hands with his.

Normally she would have pulled her hands back right away, but she could sense his compassion and blinked away the warm tears as she tried to hold his gaze. His calloused palms comforted her and her voice came up, almost steady as she tried to explain what she'd been through.

"I was supposed to participate in a negotiation that would bring us towards peace, but it turned out Sutr wanted to torture me into revealing everything I knew about Muspell. And a sacred rite that would make him even stronger than he already is."

Alfonse wasn't sure how to process all that. She had been sent out to bring peace to her people only to be beaten up for what might have been weeks. The healers had told him she showed signs of prolonged hunger, which could have been from how long she'd been on the run, but he couldn't fathom how long someone this severely wounded could even manage to run. Which brought more questions to his mind, but there was no way he'd press her more than this.

"I escaped after being burned, I couldn't…" the break in her voice was pure pain, her shoulders jumping as her following gasp turned into a sob.

She remembered the leather gloves hitting her, the chains on her ankles and the way the guards toyed around with her. Sutr's visits and how they always ended. Just the sound of his footsteps had been enough for her to turn into a quivering mess, even though she desperately wanted to keep a strong front.

Her sobs were half-hacked as she tried to hold them back, her hands pulling away from his so she could cover her face and her shame.

"Fjorm…"

She'd asked that he didn't insist on her princess title, but the familiarity felt somewhat strange. And yet, when he shuffled forward just a little and opened his arms a little more, uncertainty and compassion all over his face, the feverish woman couldn't hold still. She hid herself against his chest, a bundle of tangled sheets and shivers.

"I'm sorry…"she whispered.

"No, no, don't be."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her sobbing breaking through the coughs as her throat couldn't tighten hard enough to hold them back.

"Sorry for what?"

Her breathing was warm through his shirt and he was glad he wasn't wearing his armor right now, otherwise, he would be making her even more uncomfortable, but this was still an awkward embrace, with her nestling herself in his arms while sitting opposite from him.

"I failed my sister. My people. I don't even know… They could capture someone else in my stead. Torture Yglr."

"Your sister?" he tried to guess. "Has she been captured?"

"No, no, thank the gods, but… They need one of us for the rite. By running, I put them all in danger."

Alfonse wasn't sure he wanted to know what that rite was about. But he knew he wanted to help this princess even more than he did when they'd found her in the snow.

"If something's happening, we will do what we can to help," he told her.

"You don't have to…"

"Can you tell me whether Sutr would stop before reaching our borders?"

He already suspected her answer and the hard shaking of her head as she sniffled was an absolute no. Which meant they would have a second war on their hands before long.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

Alfonse didn't want to give her empty words, so he held her closer, even if the touch of his hands on her back made her gasp and tremble in his embrace, her fingers gripping his shirt so he wouldn't pull away. It took a couple of minutes for her to calm down, her apologies coming back, the prince tempted to shush her with his fingers on her lips, mentally slapping himself for even entertaining such a thought. He already held her in his lap in a way that was improper.

But the only thing that felt wrong in this situation were her tears. When she started sniffing pitifully, trying to get back to a semblance of composure, seeing her light blush, he turned out his pockets, finding a handkerchief to offer, the princess taking it, her blush intensifying. They were still sitting close, far too close if someone was to barge into the tent, but neither of them moved away, Alfonse hoping her trembling would fully subside if he gave her just a little more reassurance. Once she felt she was properly calmed, she looked at him, only realizing then how close they were. Their foreheads were almost touching. And she noticed something with a gasp that startled him.

That sound was cuter than Shareena's squeals of delight when she petted Feh.

"What is it?" Alfonse asked her, realizing she was staring at a spot just above his eyes.

Fjorm reached up gingerly, her fingers running over one of his blue to golden lock.

"It's the exact reverse of mine," she noted.

His eyes widened as he took in the pale blue tips of her blond hair. There was something iridescent about her hair and now he wanted to touch it too, although it couldn't be right.

"May I?" he found himself asking .

She nodded, her hand dropping from his own hair, her thumb brushing against his cheek in an accidental caress. Her hands were callused from handling a spear but that thumb felt very soft. Her lips had parted slightly and her voice was rough on her second gasp, her eyes blinking from the feel of his palm cupping the back of her head. He noticed transparent spots on her gown, where the perspiration from the fever had been too much and he tried to focus on her hair instead. Her strands were even softer then her finger pad and that only led his mind to wonder how soft the rest of her could be.

He followed one of the longer locks, just to see the pattern of fading color bursting into a blue that reminded him of the sky.

The reverse of him, all paler, softer and yet strong enough to withstand torture worse than anything he'd experienced.

How he hoped he could prevent her from facing such pain in the future. Her eyes blinked at him, the princess asking if something was wrong. Her voice rumbled, warm from the fever and he felt very conscious of the fact they were sitting on a bed.

He could picture her head closer to his. Her voice a whisper as musk would fill the air, the sweat on his back beneath her cool fingers. Hair could mix and her blue on his would mean... He blinked at the sharpness of the desire fueling those thoughts, his hand trembling as he let go of her hair, finding her smiling innocently at him.

She was beautiful, despite the fading bruises and the pale, formless nightgown. He needed to veer his thoughts back to reason, but didn't trust his voice.

"It's far lovelier than mine" he commented, his throat feeling a tad too tight.

"Now you're just trying to make me blush."

Which had him flushing because the impure thoughts were still there and she was still half sitting on his lap...

_Picture what father would say if he..._

He felt sheepish, since that worked, but pushed any foreign or familiar thoughts away to focus on the young woman whose hands were laying between his. When had that happened? How could she feel so at ease around him?

"But you're smiling again."

The smile didn't waver as she gave the smallest nod.

"Thank you for giving me normal. I needed that."

Now he wanted to kiss her forehead, but he was afraid what he'd want next. He settled for giving her hands a squeeze.

Parting would have been awkward if she had been more awake, but her eyes fluttered closed and he laid her back to sleep, mentally chiding himself for wondering about too many different things. Like how her weight in his arms could feel if she was to...

No, no, no, he wasn't going to take that any further.

Where had _these_ thoughts been hiding?

His sister gave him a toothy grin when he stepped out of the tent.

"That took an awfully long time. She's making longer and longer conversations."

Shareena threw her arm around his neck in such a playful manner, he wondered if they weren't back home and not in a war camp.

"I hope I can become friends with her too!"

He smiled, knowing how genuine his sister was.

"She'll need a lot of friends," he whispered.

Now his thoughts were purely protective.

"Brother, you have a very strange look on your face. Could it be you're that fond of her already?"

Oh no.

"Don't be ridiculous, Shareena. I only want to see her better after all she went through."

And he had yet to actually know the lady.

Luckily, food was being grilled and Kiran and Anna had thrown a contest for dishes, to have people forgetting how limited their supplies were. Which meant it was time to step back into his role as leader of this little army. A part of him almost wished he'd stayed in that tent. Protecting one person had to be easier than keeping so many safe.

...

On the following morning, Shareena guided Corrin and Azura to their partners for a surveillance mission.

"Raven is a bit rough around the edges, but that's mostly because he prefers being on his own. And I know you'll love Lyn, everyone does."

Lilith nodded, sitting on Corrin's shoulder to follow them as far as she could go. She knew both women were still getting used to this new world and wanted them to be at ease.

A green haired woman with a slitted blue tunic was waiting for them, her eyes sharp but her smile warm.

"Hey, new recruits! Corrin and Azura, was it? I'm sorry I wasn't there to welcome you aboard. Veronica's troops wouldn't let us off."

Raven groaned something that sounded like "way to be reassuring..."

"Oi, are you done being grumpy? I swear, I only stick with him on missions because he knows Eliwood and Hector from actual memories and not legends." Lyn snarked.

"I'm sorry," Corrin started, "who?"

Lyn cocked her head to the side sheepishly.

"Sorry, those are my best friends from our original world. I'm still hoping I can get to see them again."

It was quite the reminder for Corrin that despite having nothing to do with this world, at least she and Azura had each other. Some other summoned heroes weren't quite as lucky.

"I have to hand it to you Lyn, you're really good at cooking over a fire!" Corrin cheered, taking another bite of the stew. One of Raven's traps had caught a rabbit, and Lyn was quick to skin, gut, and dissect it into stew-sized bits before adding the dried vegetables and salt they packed with them once the water had grown to a boil. It was a very welcome addition to the dried pork they had packed with them for the journey, the stew warming the group in the evening chill.

"Thanks. Did plenty of campfire cooking growing up when we were on longer trips." Lyn explained, filling her mouth. Raven and Azura added their agreement between bites. Corrin's brows shot up, her head turning too suddenly as she looked towards the sound of a snapping twig.

"Corrin?" Azura asked, voice laced with concern as she got up, reaching for her weapon scanning the darkness for the source of her friend's tension. But Corrin had grabbed Blazing Yato, on her feet and eyes fixated on the forest. Lyn had gotten up as well, bow held with a notched arrow, ready to draw back. Raven was getting to his feet, trying to quickly chew and swallow.

"Damnit Damien!" An unfamiliar voice barked. "Can you _ever_ walk quietly? Shit!" A man walked around a tree, "Well the jig is up. But I think we'll do okay. How about you lovely ladies all hand over your weapons and we won't kill you?" He clucked his tongue at them. Three more men emerged,

"You're the asshole what gave us away." The tallest of the group snapped back in a deep tone, his words difficult to understand through a thick foreign accent.

"Oh fuck it all, just kill 'em so we can some fukin' sleep!"

"Smells like they got food!"

"You're not killing anybody!" Corrin declared, shifting her stance and her companions did the same. A loud _twang_ echoed through the trees, followed by a sharp curse while one of the bandits twisted his body, slapping an arm over the side of his neck. Blood was already seeping through his fingers and beneath his palm, and he tightened his grip on his sword. The other three had all turned to him, trying to ready their own weapons.

Corrin was the first to move, taking advantage of the unprepared stance of the newcomers. The man clutching his neck cursed, trying to bring his arm up to have his sword deflect Corrin's stroke. She shifted the weight on her leg, grunting as she brought her sword up again, the off-balance man dropping his sword from the way Blazing Yato impacted the metal. She could hear cursing and clashing around her, and grit her teeth together praying she wouldn't hear Azura sing, no matter how beautiful the song. Another shift in weight, another motion of her arms, and she felt metal tear through skin and muscle, the impact of her weapon against stone. She withdrew Yato, and with her opponent crumpling to the ground, blood spurting from a lethal wound in his side, she shifted her attention.

Lyn had dropped her bow, a short dagger in her hand as she shuffled in an awkward dance against the tall man named Damien. Raven was beside her, axe in hand. But it was Azura who caught her attention. She was recovering from her flourish, but her opponent had recovered his stance faster than her. His sword was raised, the tension in his neck and shoulder, the shift in the weight on his legs, the turn in his hips, all betraying the motion about to come.

"Azura!" Corrin screamed, dashing between the two. She tried to lift her arm, wrist twisting to get Yato between the bandit's sword and herself, but she wasn't fast enough. Her arm was forced town, a sharp pain in her shoulder as her arm was forced downward when the bandit's sword impacted between the plates of her armor and dragged her arm with the downswing. Pain bloomed in her arm and shoulder, rolling through the entire limb and her fingers went numb. She tried to command her hand to clench, retain her grip on her weapon, but the numbness caused her grip to falter. She sidestepped, and danced back to try and regain her balance.

The bandit drew his sword up to try and strike another blow while she was off staggered and she cursed as she struggled to lift her arm. She managed to get the sword up, but wasn't braced for the impact and the bandit threw aside her stroke with ease.

"I'm 'a fuck you good, just m' type." He growled, licking his lips. "Put down that sword and I might ev'n be gentle 'nuff for ya to 'njoy y'rself!" he laughed, his left foot stepping back while his right shoulder rolled with his next clumsy blow. Azura growled from behind Corrin, stepping around her, and her lance moved faster than Corrin could track. She shifted her sword to her left hand, bringing it up. The bandit was startled by Azura's bellow, already committed to the motion. He tried to turn his shoulders but the lance impaled his chest, his curse caught in his throat replaced with a gurgled gag.

Azura grunted as she drew her lance from the bandit's chest. She stepped back and eyed him as he curled on his side, hand clamped over the new wound while he gagged and sputtered. She scowled, Thrusting the lance through his chest, giving a twist effectively silencing him as he turned limp. She looked at Corrin, a frown pulling her lips.

"Corrin, are you okay?" she asked. Her friend was doubled over, a hand clamped over her shoulder. She could make out blood on the white armor, and the pain etched on Corrin's features.

"Yeah," she grunted, righting herself and forced a smile on her face. "You okay?"

"Yes…" Azura answered, voice trailing off.

Corrin turned her attention to see Raven burying his axe in the back of the man who had cursed out the one named Damien. A second blow rent his head from his shoulders, silencing the pained screams he was letting loose echoing off the forest trees.

"We'll have to find a new place to set camp." Lyn said, grimacing at the three corpses, and the one whining man on the ground. "You'll never run again, but I don't think that leg will kill you." Lyn continued, cocking her head. "So get up and get far away from here." She answered. "Told you I could handle myself." She added, making sharp eye contact with Raven. Corrin and Azura exchanged glances, wondering what exchange they missed while occupied with their own portion of the combat.

"You should let me look at that arm." Azura suggested, stabbing her weapon into the dirt to keep it upright to step closer to Corrin. She reached out, gently grabbing her by the hand and turning the offended limb. The woman winced, taking a sharp intake of breath through her teeth. Azura quickly let go of her arm, pulling her hands back, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to assess the wound."

"Wait until we find a new place to camp." Corrin countered, frowning. "And I'm okay. Are you okay?"

"Can you use your arm?" Azura ignored the question.

"Yeah. I don't think it's that deep." Corrin answered, "the armor did its job."

"Did the sword break it?" she asked, cocking her head to try and get a good look at it. Corrin shook her head, rolling her shoulder.

"Loose plate." She suggested, looking at the weave of her armor's sleeve. "I'll have to have the blacksmith fix it once we get back."

"We'll have to find a new place to set camp." Lyn remarked, grimacing at the three corpses, and the one whining man on the ground. "You'll never run again, but I don't think that leg will kill you." Lyn continued, cocking her head. "So get up and get far away from here." She answered. "Told you I could handle myself." She added, making sharp eye contact with Raven. Corrin and Azura exchanged glances, wondering what exchange they missed while occupied with their own portion of the combat.

Corrin walked over to the tent she was sharing with Azura, pulling up the first spike. The other woman was quick to join her, packing up.

"Were the horses scared off?" Raven called up, "I'll kick you again if you don't stop that whimpering, get your ass up, and far away from here." He growled at the man still whining on the ground. "Or should I make you look more like your friends here?"

"Maybe he _is_ feeling left out," Lyn concurred, setting down her supplies, walking up to the bandit, pushing her boot against his shoulder. "Should I fix that?" she asked.

"Please! I'll go!" he begged. She lifted her boot, the man sitting up and used a nearby tree to right himself. Raven suggested leaving him alive was ill advised, concerned about a second wave of bandits following suit. Lyn shrugged, looking around the trees for any sign of their horses. She brought her thumb and forefinger beneath her tongue, a shrill whistle carrying through the trees. After the second whistle a slight whinny answered, her horse reappearing.

"Not all of us can summon animals on a whim. Any sign of the other horses?" Raven asked, grunting as he finished tying off his sleep pack.

"Just a good horse trainer." Lyn countered quickly, letting out a sharp huff of air through her nose. "I don't see the others." She grimaced, though the thick foliage then pointed, "They ran that way."

"I'll go get them." Raven offered. He rejected Lyn's offer to go with him, "I can manage fetching some horses."

"There's three of them, might be handy to have a second person." Lyn tried to push.

"He makes a good point. We can hold the fort for a bit while you go. We can finish packing up." Corrin offered, nodding her head at Raven. Lyn wrinkled her nose, then let out a long sigh and shrugged.

"Just watch my horse." She asked. The pair left through the thick brush running north-west of the trail they had been following. Between the noise, and the pungent smell of blood and spilled bowls Corrin looked around fearful of attracting animals. The quiet chirp of crickets was replaced with a loud buzzing of flies swarming the fresh corpses, the agitated screech of birds settling back into the quiet.

"Corrin…" The young woman flinched, turning to meet Azura's stern gaze. "Please let me look at that arm." She asked, holding out an expectant hand. Corrin sighed, extending her arm,

"We should be packing the rest of camp. Who knows what'll be attracted to all this…" she curled her nose, stomach starting to unsettle as the air grew thick with the stench.

"It'll be but a moment." Azura countered, brows furrowed together. She found a knot in her chest as she used her sleeve to brush away the blood on Corrin's armor, hoping for a glance of the wound through the aforementioned gap in the plates. The armor was long worn. The plates loose, dented, and scratched throughout. The scars of the war she had won. The heaviness found its way up into her throat, squinting for a moment.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, trying to force back the pain of her own lost war, the images of the fallen Corrin, just one casualty among many.

"A little but I'm fine."

"We should take the arm off of the armor so I can get a better look and dress the wound." Azura offered, reaching up to Corrin's shoulder, the latter stepping back.

"When we make camp again, I promise I'll bandage it up. But I don't want us staying here any longer than necessary." She countered quickly. She took a step back, Azura's arms falling by her sides. Corrin busied herself setting Lyn's pack upon her horse and paced around the animal to assess it for wounds. "Seems okay." She announced to fill the gap in conversation with Azura. She tried to listen for the sounds their companions' return, coughing into her fist. "Are… you? You haven't answered yet."

"I'm okay," Azura assured. "You shouldn't have injured yourself for me." She blurted, back teeth biting down on her tongue, eyes flickering from the ground to Corrin.

"I couldn't let you get hurt." She countered quickly, brows knit together. A palm tapped against her thigh. "You don't have armor." She added, and felt her cheeks heat up.

"I can defend myself." Azura tried to insist, but couldn't muster the anger behind her tone when she saw that pitiable expression. Brows knit and lifted with worry, her wide eyes wiping years from her face, and the childish way she was almost pouting had Azura step closer to her. "You can't be so reckless." She chided. "And you allowed your armor to fall into disrepair for it to have a loose plate like that. What if the man had been wielding a heavier weapon? You may have broken your arm!" her tone rose, finding the anger she previously lacked.

"I didn't think." Corrin tried to defend, "I saw him about to… I couldn't let him hurt you."

"I'm far faster with my weapon than you think." Azura wondered if this dead version of her, _don't think of it. Push that thought from your mind, _was not a warrior as well as a dancer.

"I know you are." The other girl's tone had dropped and a hand came up to rub at the pain in her healing ribs, reminded of a time she had asked Azura for a sparring match to burn off some agitation two days into a four-day march to their next battle. The dancer had proved her agility applied to more than just dancing, and she carried more strength than just her voice. She could have sworn she had broken a rib that day. Though hell came upon them before she admitted to her friend how much the blow had hurt. _That'll teach you not to wear your armor when sparring with real weapons._ She remembered Ryoma scolding her.

Tears burned her eyes, too many memories filling her mind. The way Azura had insisted on preparing dinner for her after their sparring match. Ryoma's scolding, and oh what she would do just to see her brother again, even if it was just to be sitting there trying not to roll her eyes as he lectured her. Of what Elise would think of her now, in another world so far away, again entangled in war when she had wanted nothing but peace and happiness for her elder sister. _There must be a way to get back_. She thought, and looked up to meet Azura's gaze, and her thoughts staggered. _But Azura is here._


	5. Chapter 5

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Once an ally

Chapter 5

"I see the tower" Lyn said as they crested a small ridge. The forest had been thinning for the last several kilometers and the four of them were trying to stay off the path. The ground was damp and muddy from rain that had taunted them during the night leaving them wet and grouchy. Up ahead an old tower stood at once was the south-west corner of a fort that had crumbled a century prior. It served now as little more than a landmark, the loose stones tempting not even the boldest of looters. Alfonse had joked that even Anna wouldn't try to search it for gold when helping Lyn map out their path.

"Any sign of a sentry?" Corrin asked.

"I don't see any movement." Lyn remarked.

"Shush or they'll hear us yapping." Ravus whispered. A few more meters and Lyn held up her hand to halt them, each of the four sliding off their horses. They waited to watch for any sign of activity at the tower. Voices, smoke from fires, the clatter of metal. But after a half-hour wait they felt it was safe to continue their advance. They walked further, the sparse forest now peppered with comparatively young trees reclaiming the land around the ruins. The tower and surrounding land was empty, much to their collective relief. The only sign of any human activity was a cold firepit and some animal bones.

"Wonder if this is where those bandits camped out." Corrin mused.

"Pretty bad spot. No cover." Lyn answered.

"They weren't the smartest." Raven said.

"Not gonna shush us again?" Lyn quipped at him.

"We didn't know if someone was here earlier." he grumbled back and made an effort to walk away from her and look around the tower. Lyn decided to follow Raven, while Corrin and Azura walked around the other side of the tower. The grass had been trampled, and there were more animal bones scattered around.

"I think it was those bandits. Or maybe other idiots." Lyn explained, studying the pattern in the worn grass. It led away from the tower deeper into the woods towards the beaten path the four had been avoiding. "We should take advantage of this set a fire up and dry off."

"Yeah won't complain about getting dry." Corrin agreed. Azura nodded, and Raven huffed.

"We should keep going." Raven suggested, and pointed towards the path.

"Don't be daft. We need to dry off." Lyn countered.

"Good luck starting a fire with wet wood." He snarked at her. Lyn rolled her eyes and paced back over to the entrance of the tower. She entered it, ignoring the shouted warnings from Raven about the bad structure and she came back out dragging a broken chair behind her. She tossed it at Raven who jumped aside to avoid being struck, and came out again with a short table missing two of its legs.

"Here. Fire."

"I thought this thing was empty." Raven admitted. He pulled out his axe and made quick work turning the ancient furniture into kindling. It was damp, but he was confident that it could light. Meanwhile Lyn was busying herself digging at the remains of the bandit fire, removing the soaked top layer. It took the group nearly an hour to get a fire going, but once fully roaring it didnt matter how damp their wood was it dried and caught quick enough.

They stayed by their fire and enjoyed some coffee as a pick-me-up, despite how gritty it was, and got themselves dry enough to chase away the chill and make them more confident in surviving the day without pneumonia. Even Raven stopped complaining about the delay. Once warmed inside and out they stomped out their fire and kicked the embers about to prevent re-ignition and mounted their horses once more.

"You're quiet. Everything okay?" Corrin asked as she rode beside Azura, behind Raven with Lyn ahead of them.

"Hmm? Quite well." Azura answered with a small smile.

"Oh. Umm good." Corrin nodded, eyes flicking back down to her reigns. She reached out to pat her horse's head. "Definitely feels better to be dry." Azura hummed her agreement.

"I rather regret not bringing a book." Azura spoke after a prolonged silence.

"Yeah something to pass the time would have been nice. But hard to read on horseback." Corrin agreed. Though, realistically, she wasn't sure she could keep her attention on a book.

"I could recount a story." Azura offered.

"What are you, a child?" Raven scoffed. Corrin pinched her lips together and let out a hard breath through her nose. Azura nodded and turned her attention back to the path ahead. Corrin opened her mouth to reassure her she would have loved a story, but her voice caught in her throat and she too simply continued following.

One kilometer ahead was the river where they were expecting Xander's army to be making camp. The land sloped up, forcing them off their horses to help guide them through the mud created by the recent rains that had melted the late autumn snow.

"Walking back is gonna suck." Lyn grunted, trying to gain footing. The horses started to snort and resist, pulling against their reigns. "Whoah, hey," Lyn tried to sooth, bracing herself from sliding down and rubbing her mare's nose. She stopped stomping and pulling against her reigns, but snorted and tossed her head when Lyn attempted to click her tongue and ease her forward. The others seemed to be struggling as badly as her. Raven's horse had slid backwards in the mud.

"It just gets steeper." Corrin remarked.

"I don't think we can get the horses up this." Lyn agreed with a heavy sigh. "Look why don't you two scout ahead. Me and Raven will watch your asses and the horses." She suggested.

"With Corrin's arm perhaps it should be reversed?" Azura suggested.

"I'm fine." Corrin argued. "Really. I'm okay." she added hastily at the expression she was getting.

"Okay so you two keep going we'll watch your backs and keep the horses from sinking in this damn mud." Lyn agreed. Corrin and Azura removed their packs from their horses and slung them over their shoulders and tried to tackle the hill again. Corrin tried to curl her toes and dig the balls of her feet to gain traction, covered to her knees in the mud after just a few steps. Beside her, Azura wasn't faring much better. She wore knee-high boots that were far more practical for traveling, and those too were covered.

A few more steps and Corrin slipped, catching herself with her good arm, the injured one wrapped around her chest. Pain flared as she impacted the ground but she grit her teeth together and pushed herself off her injured arm. Mud coated her armor, finding its way in joints soaking her clothing beneath bringing an instant chill. Azura tried to offer her a hand, but was already having difficulty keeping herself upright. She held and arm out nonetheless, but Corrin shook her head and declined not wanting to pull her down with her. She got back onto her feet, glancing over her shoulder at Lyn and Raven and was surprised to not see them laughing at her.

"You all right?" Azua asked.

"Yeah." Corrin nodded. Their progress was slow, both women falling two more times each before the slope became more forgiving and they were able to continue walking. The hill reached a crest and the pair halted before progressing. If the provided maps were correct, according to Lyn this hill would roll down to the Ings River, across which would be the ruins of the fort of which their previous landmark was an outpost of.

"Hear anything?"Azura whispered.

"No." Corrin shook her head, and started moving forward. The fort came into view, and was in a better state of repair than the half-collapsed tower they pilfered firewood from. On either side of the river was the stone remains of an ancient bridge, but spreading across it were wooden planks and supports over the former foundation.

"Look," Corrin pointed, at it and frowned. The next closest bridge in either direction were a day's ride away. Constructing this bridge in the middle of nowhere could give access to the borders of Askr that no one would see coming.

"How long will it take them to finish that?"

"I don't know…" Corrins voice trailed off. She closed one eye and used the angle of her thumb and forefinger to try and gauge the bridge's width and the river's length; and made a mental note to compare it to the width of the river on their maps to get an estimate of the size of the bridge. Perhaps someone back in the camp would be able to do the math and calculate just how screwed they were. "I don't really see any activity." She whispered.

"No, look. Get down." Azura whispered, and dropped down, and Corrin did so beside her. The ground was painfully cold and almost immediately she started daydreaming about the fire they would start that night. and tried to see what she had spotted. A man walked out of the building closest to the bridge, and she squinted to try and get a better look. He was of average height, short blonde hair, and trim build. He wore an unfamiliar uniform, but she couldn't make out the crest on his chest.

"Leo." Corrin whispered, her vision blurring as dizziness washed over hear. Her face prickled and her breath started coming faster. _Two of my brothers. She has two of my brothers. Am I really fighting for the right side? What am I doing fighting my family again?"_

"Leo." Azura echoed beside her. She turned, and saw Azura's gaze was focused on the man below, her stomach churned recalling a conversation they had.

"You were engaged to him… weren't you?" Corrin asked, swallowing hard.

"Yes. I was." Azura answered. Corrin's gaze went down to Azura's left hand and saw it was bare, and vaguely remembered Azura mentioning a ring.

"You loved him?"

"I loved y-" Azura's answered stopped abruptly. Corrin's heart immediately started to race, a static heat flashed across her face and spread to her ears. "I loved _you_." She finally turned, her pale cheeks deep pink with red spots speckling her blush. Corrin swallowed, her voice stuck in her throat. She stared at the other woman and tried to get her voice to work. She heard the past tense. _She loved me?_ Deep secret feelings she felt for her dearest friend that she never dared to ask on. _Did you die wishing I loved you back?_ But there she was, in front of her. Alive. She squinted to ease the burning in her eyes and keep the tears from spilling over her cheeks.

"She died?" Corrin asked after a slight stutter. Azura's passive expression broke. Her eyes glazed and her lips thinned as she chewed on her bottom lip. She nodded, glancing back at Leo momentarily before locking her eyes with Corrin's.

"You're alive." She whispered her eyes narrowed briefly and her brow flinched. But her slight frown remained.

"I don't really understand this weirdness either." Corrin answered, a choked cross between a sob and a laugh punctuating her words. "I… I loved you too. I never told you." Her voice cracked again and she shook her head and bit hard down on her bottom lip to regain her constitution.

"We have much to talk about. Perhaps we should be less… distracted." Azura forced a humorless smile and tilted her head. Corrin turned her attention back to the river. Leo was writing something in a book at the edge of the bridge. He got up, and walked back into the building again. _My brother._

"I don't see anyone else. Do you?" Corrin asked.

"No."

"Good." Corrin tapped at her neck and felt the familiar chain and stood up, flexing her fingers. "Corrin?!" Azura asked. But already her fingers were extending into large claws, her legs bent backwards and caused her to crash forward. Her head swelled and limbs extended. Her hair curled and spun into hard antlers, her low rumble the only sign she showed of any discomfort the transformation may have caused. She ran down the hill, sliding along the mud and fell. She stumbled, rolled, and clawed madly at the ground. Her claws dug deep into the dirt but slid anyways. She slowed her descent enough that she managed not to splash into the river below. She stood up and shook herself to slosh off as much mud as she could. She dove into the river.

She had expected the water to be frigid, but it was still early enough in the season that the summer warmth hadn't been completely sapped out of the water yet. But it was a far cry from comfortable. She paddled across the water, feeling quite foolish having to doggie-paddle like she had been during her lessons. _Azura loved me._ She managed to get across, but had been pulled a distance by the current. She climbed up the bank and shook again, water splashing away from her water-resistant scales. _Holy shit Azura loved me. Loves me? And my brother is here! I won't fight two brothers!_ Various thoughts were competing for her attention and making her nauseous.

She charged across the muddy field managing not to slip and stopped in front of the building her brother went into. She lifted an arm and slammed the door open, breaking one of the hinges.

"What?!" Leo called, and scrambled out of the chair he was sitting it to reach for a sword on the other side of the small entry room. Corrin lunged, _I'll explain it to him later I don't want to fight my family anymore._ She turned her head and grabbed Leo in her mouth, sure to pin his arms by his sides.

"What is this? Corrin? Why… what?" Leo asked. Corrin's stomach lurched again and she needed a moment for the dizziness to fade before she could muster the will to run. _Of course_ her damn brother would recognize her dragon form. She clawed the broken door out of her way, but halted before leaving the room. She saw the book Leo had been writing in knocked over on the floor. She picked it up in a claw and then wrapped her tail around it. Leo thrashed in her mouth, and she knew her gums would be bleeding later. "Are you a ghost?! Some daemon sent to haunt me?!" He asked, voice high and hoarse. He tried to kick her but wasn't able to reach.

Corrin tried to keep her mind straight and silence the endless questions pouring through it. To let herself process Azura's slip and her own emotions later. To process her guilt about Leo later. Her abject pain she couldn't just come grab Xander like this. She ran into the water. She kept her head tilted to the side as she paddled forward to make sure Leo's head was well above water. Her tail was curved up over her back to keep the book dry as well. She clambered out the opposite bank, and saw Azura standing and pacing at the top of the hill.

She let out a hard huff of air through her nose, pausing to catch her breath for a moment. She had never tried to retain her dragon form for so long before and wanted nothing more than to set a fire and fall asleep. But she sighed, and started up the slippery slope again. She tried to go slower this time, and be deliberate. Careful how she moved her weight and gripping the ground hard with her claws and using shallow roots as an anchor. As soon as she reached the summit Azura had her hands on her.

"Oh please use more caution than that!" Corrin rumbled at her and Azura just shook her head. "Leo…"

"Azura?"

"Are you all right?" Corrin nodded, and Leo thrashed more.

"I'm in the mouth of a dragon that looks like my lost sister and talking to a dead woman! No I'm not all right!" Azura flinched at his words, glancing up at Corrin for a moment before she let out a long sigh.

"Set him down please Corrin." Azura asked, but Corrin just shook her head nad nodded towards the other slope. Azura with second thought agreed that it was likely wiser to wait until they were back with Raven and Lyn to keep him from running off. Corrin nudged Azura with her tail and got a smile. "I'm all right, you merely gave me a fright." she chuckled. Corrin's eyes pinched at the edges and tip of her tail flicked in that familiar way that meant she was smiling. They started walking to where they had left Raven and Lyn. She walked a pace then rumbled, nudging Azura with her tail. The woman stepped back and saw the book that was curled in her tail.

"I shall have to read this as soon as we get back." Azura noted, hoping whatever Leo was writing in it was important. As the slope grew steeper Corrin shifted her weight and used her tail to wrap around trees to help control her slide. Azura, already covered in mud from head to toe, decided it was easier to just slide down on her bottom. The pair reached the bottom of the hill to have Raven and Lyn already waiting for them.

"The lizard found a thing." Lyn observed. Corrin finally set Leo down on the ground and shifted back into her human form, and fell back with a grunt. Azura rushed over to Corrin, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh my gods… I really am seeing ghosts." Leo said.

"Like you, we've been pulled away from different words, brother," Corrin managed through the haze of her prolonged transformation.

"Was a dragon chewing on your armor involved?"

"I didn't chew on you!" she instantly protested, Lyn pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter at the indignant look the "siblings" exchanged.

"I am wet and covered with dragon drool, as a prisoner, I demand…!"

"We're all covered in mud and we have no amenities for anyone to wash up. If getting dirty is so uncomfortable, I suggest we get more intel by…"

"Lyn, I don't believe this will be necessary," Azura stopped her.

"We should confirm if he was alone up there. How are we to know that people won't come looking for him?" Raven intereffered.

Corrin wished her headache would go away so she could offer a decent plan to cover her very impulsive kidnapping. She also wished Leo would prove less shocked and happier to see her, especially considering how he kept saying she was a ghost. If she'd been dead in his world, wasn't he happy to see her?

Azura's hand on her shoulder was her biggest comfort and she found herself holding her wrist instinctively, gathering strength from her presence.

"Leo, I don't want to treat you as a prisoner. I've fought you once and I can't bring myself to do it again."

Her brother winced, swallowing as he struggled to get himself together.

"You picked the Hoshidans in your world too, didn't you? And now this is your version of Hoshido," he went on, gesturing to Lyn and Raven.

Corrin couldn't hold his gaze, while Azura glared at him. It was hard for her to look at Leo and not see the man who had hurt her back in her own world. She could understand that every single person summoned to Askr and the neighboring lands were confused and lost and hurting. But Leo had raised his hand to her, had never shown her that he cared for Corrin after her so-called "betrayal" to side with Hoshido.

"It's not a lot of people who get a second chance at having a family member back in their lives. Corrin is alive now, here and she decided she'd rather kidnap you than have to fight you. What does it matter which side she was summoned in?"

Leo shuffled to his feet, his anger flashing briefly as Raven raised his axe at him menacingly.

"Still easier to follow a side than to go off on your own, isn't it? No need to glare like that, I'll follow you without resistance. But that's only because I know it would be futile."

Raven dropped a hand on his armor-clad shoulder, forcing him to lower himself a notch with his sheer strength.

"Stop being a prick and tell us how many people were in that tower with you."

"My escort died on the way here thanks to all the bandits," Leo admitted, shrugging him off.

Corrin saw how his eyes went to the book she'd collected for him and she felt a twinge of guilt. Leo knew her, but he had no idea if he could trust any of her companions and she could understand the level of helplessness he had to be in.

"We've stumbled upon quite the dangerous place, haven't we?" she asked him, daring to meet his red eyes again.

He looked at her and Azura, his fists clenching at his sides.

"A world of second chances. And the threat of re-living losses." he observed, turning on his heels to face away from Corrin.

Lyn saw how affected the princess was and declared they should move out since they had a potential source of intel to present Alfonse. The trip back would most certainly be miserable, Leo whining as Raven insisted on tying him up before throwing him across a horse, Azura and Corrin sharing a mount. Lyn led the way, the princesses riding close, Leo coming after, with Raven watching him closely to make sure he didn't try anything. A few hours later, as they helped her brother off the horse, Corrin undid the rope on his wrists, fighting against guilt and all the months she'd spent worrying about him after winning over Norh. Leo seemed ready to make a new complaint about his treatment as a prisoner, but was cut short by Corrin hugging him tightly. Not a dragon this time, but his human sister, alive and warm under the mud and dampness sitting in the air.

He could have tried grabbing at her sword, but said sword was still on her horse, too many feet away... and the very knowledge Corrin was truly alive was finally hitting him. He hugged her back, his gestures made awkward by both soreness and the fear she could slip away from him.

He'd seen Xander killing her with his own hands. Heard this world's Xander lamenting about his crimes. And since so many variants of every world existed, there had to be one where Corrin had killed him, _and also one where he'd killed her_. He couldn't help his shiver and Corrin shivered too, going through similar thoughts.

"I missed you, brother."

Leo fought against the ache in his throat, wishing to pull away with his dignity intact. His legs were weak, his arms sore and the ache in his throat seemed to grow, catching up to his head and heart as pictures and bloody scents threatened to invade his senses.

"You think _we _didn't?"

"I'm… I'm sorry? If you stay around, we don't have to miss each other anymore," she offered.

"That's anything but fair. But I get it."

Second chances were not to be pushed away. With a deep sigh, he let out a muffled apology, Corrin smiling at him.

"You won't run away then?"

"I will not risk facing your dragon form dragging me off into the night. I've had enough with being a chew toy once."

Saying that, he tried checking his armor for any mark of wear, wrinkling his nose at a few spots.

"I'll take what I can," Corrin whispered. "Come, brother, you must be hungry."

Raven was not happy with how casually they were handling their "prisoner" but when Lyn reminded him they were family, he got quieter. Azura silently thanked whoever was responsible for that reprieve

Lyndis tried to make small talk and both princesses did join in the discussion, Raven grunting and hmphing while Leo barely voiced a word, eating reluctantly and already mentally preparing himself to be forced to sleep tied up if it was going to reassure his bunkmate.

"We should be far enough from any of his fellow soldiers to set up camp for the night, but how shall we bunk up?" Lyndis asked.

"We should take turns to keep watch and someone needs to watch over this bundle of sunshine," Raven observed.

"Why am I not surprised?" Leo sneered.

"You're bunking up with the snappy prince, we girls can take turns keeping watch. I'll take the first turn, alright with you, Corrin, Azura?"

The pair nodded, Corrin giving an apologetic smile to her brother as he was pushed inside his tent by Raven.

"I certainly hope things will calm down once we're back in camp," Azura whispered.

"Yeah. This was a pretty crazy day. You must be tired?" Corrin asked her.

The dancer gave a short nod, thinking back on the brief heart-to-heart they'd shared. Neither of them had had any time to consider what their confession meant, especially since they while did love each other, it had been their self-counterparts from another world. Azura wondered how she was even supposed to get her mind around that. She focused on picking up the few dishes they'd used for dinner, Corrin busying herself by making sure Lyn was really fine with taking the first watch.

"I offered, didn't I? You looked pretty tired after changing into a dragon and I can tell Azura is stressed out. Get her to rest up already." Lyn told her with an easy-going smile.

There was no more distraction possible at this point, the dragon nearly hearing those words again in the back of her mind _"I loved you..." _That past tense had been so painful, and yet she wanted to hear it again. It had felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Could they pretend the fact they were the actual people they used to know was enough?

"Azura," Corrin started, finding her voice a bit rougher than she'd expected and clearing her throat, feeling awkward and sheepish. "Azura," she tried again, her eyes somehow holding Azura's gentle gaze. "You said earlier we had much to talk about…"

And they finally had some time.

"Let's settle in our tent, shall we?" the dancer offered.

Butterflies fluttered around her stomach as they fell into steps and their hands brushed. Had they gotten this close already? Were they following some invisible pull towards each other? The horse ride had been… strange. They were both too focused on how Leo's kidnapping would turn out to really focus on each other. Now, it seemed like there was nothing else either of them could do. As they seemed ready to enter the tent at the same time, they both froze, right before bumping their shoulders together.

"After you," Corrin offered, smiling as she gave a little flourish.

Azura smiled back to her, wondering why her cheeks were warming up despite the night air. She shook her head softly.

"No, no, after you, Corrin."

"Let me insist, Azura."

"Corrin, please, this is ridiculous," the dancer laughed, bringing an hand to her mouth as though showing that particular emotion was bad.

In the short time she'd been in Askr, Azura had felt more joy than in all the months spent in Norh back in her world. It was a very strange feeling for her, to even grow accustomed to smiling so much. To genuinely smile. Her heart swelled with the need to tell Corrin and as embarrassment came with the feeling, she lowered her head, hurrying into the tent.

Corrin couldn't quite describe what was in her head or her heart as she followed her inside. Seeing the flush on Azura's cheeks was something new, something her Azura had mostly kept to herself. She was always so composed. She was getting to see more than just Azura alive. And it felt like a chance she needed to hold on to, otherwise, she would lose her mind with how complicated things were in this world where anyone, anyone at all, could be summoned out of the blue.

Following Azura inside, she found her hastily finishing the setting up of their bedrolls.

"Is everything okay with you?" Corrin asked, dumbfounded.

"I'm fine. Well, maybe not fine, but… I think our talk from earlier is… starting to sink in."

"Is now a bad time to talk about it?"

Azura quickly shook her head.

"No, there might not be one good time, but it's not a bad time. I don't think I can have a bad time when I'm around you." Azura reached and smoothed out wrinkles in the thin blanket atop one of the bedrolls.

Corrin was suddenly reminded of the impression she had when she had to stand in front of their troops, back in Hoshido, with hundreds of soldiers lined up. She wanted to hide so badly and yet all she could do was smile.

"Gods, I'm so glad Azura, I could hug you! Can I hug you? Is it weird? I'm making this weird."

"Corrin, please, don't fret, sit with me. We can hug. But if you do now, I don't know if I can contain myself."

The white-haired princess sat down in the spot Azura had patted, a frown on her face.

"Why?"

"I'm still wrapping my head around the fact you're real. That we're… both alive in the same plane of existence."

Without thinking, the blue-haired princess had reached out, her hands finding Corrin's and their palms pressed against each other's, the pair looking at their fingers closing over the offered hand as though this had never happened.

"I loved you." Corrin said, finding it important to repeat those words, especially since Azura had said them first. "More than a friend, more than I thought I… I know I'm not the Corrin you knew, but it feels like you were… like you are…"

At a loss for words, she simply lifted Azura's hands to her face, kissing the back of her left hand, and the palm of her right hand. The dancer tensed but didn't pull away, fighting against contradictory feelings. This was the Corrin she knew. Her hair was different, but the way she stood, the way she smiled.

"I loved you this way too, I just never thought… And then it was too late, so this might be what we're doing now…"

Corrin squeezed her hands, her mouth dry as she shook her head with incertitude.

"What are we doing? We're just talki…"

Lips on her lips cut her off, Corrin freezing as the sheer notion of what was happening flooded her mind. She felt Azura hesitating and understood she needed to be comforted, to be reassured after finally acting out. She guided Azura's hands on either side of her, unsure where would be a proper location and if anywhere could scare her off. Her mouth was even more unsure, even more hesitant, but a fire had been lit and she wanted its warmth to reach everywhere, from the tip of her lips to the end of her hair.

Both women rose on their knees, Azura's hands staying on Corrin's waist, finding the small of her back, the Hoshidan princess cupping her delicate face, gently pushing back the long strands of blue hair. Their kisses were soft, gentle brushes, tender in their wish to not rush each other, a little pressing with the barely contained panic at the idea they could lose sight of each other again.

"I love you," Corrin said again, the present tense giving her wings that were almost instantly snapped off by Azura's soft "no" but also another kiss, Azura's mouth surer this time, guiding Corrin into a new dance.

"A…"

Another kiss.

"Azu…"

Their chests brushed, Corrin hoping Azura could hear the painful rhythm at which her heart was beating. Why had she told her no? Why was that her answer to her feelings? Why was she kissing her so desperately and reverently if she didn't believe her?

"Azura!" Corrin managed, afraid of raising her voice but standing her ground, her hands finding the bare shoulders of the dancer and pushing her back just enough for their eyes to meet, both of them panting.

"I'm sorry. I want to be your Azura, you have no idea how badly I want it, but…"

"But what? I love Azura and you're Azura, don't make my head hurt, my heart is already…"

"I don't know what to think, Corrin, I don't… I loved her and you're her, but isn't this… Is this what you really need?"

"Do I need to apologize for being alive? I was..." Corrin took her hands back, holding them in front of her chest, fighting against the tears gathering in her eyes. It felt like a storm under her skin, her heart beating so hard, so strongly, she was afraid it would expand too far and stop. "I was always afraid this was _wrong_. No one told me I could..."

Azura's eyes widened, realizing what Corrin was implying, what she was doing to her.

"No, no, Corrin…"

"I'm made wrong, right? There must be something she had I don't…"

"No, Corrin, I beg you, don't think this is your fault. I'm scared but not of this. Not of us. I'm scared of running after a ghost. Of putting a weight on your shoulders that you shouldn't carry. I used to think seeing you happy was all I needed, I didn't mind watching from afar."

"What about what _you _want? Why do you have to be so fucking selfless? That's why I lost you in the first place. It feels like you barely value yourself, but you mean the world to me."

And those words should not have been aimed at this Azura, this Azura had made different decisions, had been carried through different paths and right as she said those things, Corrin understood what weight her sweet, sweet songstress had been talking about.

"I'm sorry, this... "

"No, I should hear those things. I took the first step and half pulled back almost immediately, it's unfair to both of us. I felt dead in this world without you. And I was also mad at you, mad at her, because you had to be a hero, you had to take every risk and in the end..."

Now they were both crying, both shaking and Corrin couldn't trust her voice to align words, she couldn't… Apologies and regrets and hurt and a sense of betrayal were spiralling across her mind, across her battered soul, as Azura tried to muster an apology, tried to separate the "you's" and the "her's" to no avail.

Sobs were coming now, it had to be the next step and Corrin almost wanted to turn into a dragon, so she could wrap herself around Azura and be strong instead of this weak, trembling thing she was.

"Azura…"

Instinct took over, Corrin's arms pulling Azura closer, the dancer trying to be quieter, trying to silence herself, knowing the others had to be hearing some of this, even if it was the lowest sound they could manage. The pain had festered for weeks, for months, and the brief reprieve, the knowledge the loss could be erased… Wasn't it simply an illusion both of them had been telling themselves? Their Corrin had still died, just as much as their Azura was gone. They could play pretend, they could learn to love each other, but wasn't it someone else they were chasing after?

Azura hid her face against Corrin's hair, finding the crook of her neck, her arms hugging her close, one hand stroking her pale locks carefully. Corrin let her own sobs come out, hoping crying now would make this weight lighter.

"I can't… lose you a second time. I can't…"

"Me neither, Corrin. I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you cry, I don't want to see you hurting."

"But this me right now is not who you needed to meet."

"Don't say that. It's you I just kissed. I just fear… the idea of using you to run away, and you should be loved properly and… fully, for who _you _are, not for the fact you're… This is so complicated."

"Does it have to be, though? Even to begin with, things were complicated between us. You grew up with my birth family, while I grew up with people who'd hurt you… And yet even if we were seeing slightly different versions of ourselves, we both fell in love with each other."

That had to mean something. Azura squeezed her tight, wishing her voice could be strong and steady and find the words, the lyrics to a comforting song, any song. She had always been terrified of hope, since there was so much she needed to hide, down to the name of her home.

"I don't know. I just…" Her voice broke, Corrin holding her as though she could shelter her with her arms.

"It's okay, Azura. For now, you should let it out. Knowing you, you've held back as much as you could, didn't you?"

And the fact it was true had to mean something, didn't it?

Allowing herself to cry out the pain she'd collected over all this time, she folded into Corrin, her sobs too strong, her panting sounding pathetic in her own ears, until she reached a point where she couldn't even focus on the sounds she was making, desperately holding onto Corrin. Minutes passed, the crying slowly turning into sniffling, Corrin shushing any apologies Azura started.

"I'm not angry at you. I can't resent you either. This is going to be hard and I'm not saying it will get easier with a week, or a month. But if we wanted to be together and we have a chance, I don't think that other Corrin, your Corrin, would be angry about it."

There were dark words beneath the ones the dragon princess dared to use, dark words like_ "you never even knew if it was going both ways, at least __**I**__ can give you that"_. She felt ashamed of thinking such a thing, but surely getting to meet here, while both having the feelings they had…

"I want to love you, Azura. But if it hurts too much…"

"Stop, just stop. I never said you couldn't… We need to figure this out together. That's why I wanted us to talk."

"But do what you need right now is to talk?"

Azura chuckled weakly as she heard something in Corrin's voice that was almost playful.

"You can't be flirting with me now, I look… I must look awful."

"Like I'm prim and princessy right now," Corrin couldn't help teasing her.

"Red cheeks suits you. But not those puffy eyes, my dear."

They helped each other to dry their tears, Azura wondering if any song could express the feeling of touching the ghost of someone she loved knowing the person was alive. And knowing they were both the same and not.

"Azura, you look so deep in thought."

"I'm sorry, I... "

"Maybe we should just go to bed," Corrin declared, her voice a tad lower. Azura met her eyes and flinched at how quickly Corrin looked away from her.

"Corrin wait, I'm not… I'm not rejecting you, I'm just so confused by all of this. You can talk to me. And you can also touch me. In fact, I believe it might what I truly need right now. I just don't want to make any of us more confused than we already…"

The white haired princess seemed to regain her confidence with just that permission, her arms wrapping around Azura gingerly.

"What do you need? I don't want to sound too eager, but I… I really need to hold you," she admitted, blushing an adorable shade of red.

"Lay down with me?" Azura suggested, worrying her lower lip as she remembered the kisses they'd shared.

She planted a peck on the dragon's mouth, sighing as Corrin answered with even more enthusiasm, their kisses learning a pace they were both comfortable with, to dance and caress with every touch, Azura feeling a song growing in her heart. She felt so light all of a sudden, her hands cupping Corrin's face, brushing her hair aside to give her better access.

"You're so cute," the singer whispered.

"Don't be silly now."

"I mean it."

Corrin blushed even more, looking away.

"I think I'm not ready to hear you meaning it," the princess confessed.

She wasn't sure she understood herself as she picked those words, but they fit with the mix of heaviness and bubbliness in her heart.

"I do find you lovely, Corrin. I don't think it would be the case for just _any _version of you."

Corrin shook her head at her, her hands reaching for Azura's wrists, holding her hands in place. It felt so good to be held like this. Yet she had no idea how to place herself, how her body was supposed to move or to not move. She knew what she wasn't supposed to do around a man to avoid anything that looked or sounded or resembled improper behavior. That was what princesses were told at an early age in Nohr. But this was different, this was new and the fact it was even permitted...

"Less talking?" she suggested.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you nervous."

"No. I was already nervous. Not nervous _nervous_, just…"

"Corrin, it's okay."

They gazed at each other in silence for a few seconds, Corrin looking away first and hiding her face against Azura's chest, grateful to feel her arms wrapping around her, a silent assent all she needed to quench her doubt about moving this close to her.

"Are you okay?" Azura asked.

"I don't know."

_I should be. I should be and I want to be and I can't remember when I ever was this confused in my life._

"If it's any consolation, I don't know how I feel either," Azura told her.

Corrin gasped, wondering if she'd somehow caught her thoughts, but that was preposterous.

"Is this good, though?"

"You mean you in my arms? It's more than good, Corrin."

The princess relaxed in the gentle embrace, slowly gathering the nerves to try holding Azura back. Her gestures felt awkward and everything in her mind told her she shouldn't be too bold, shouldn't assume she could just try whatever she wanted. But her heart wanted the closeness. Most of all, she wanted more.

To be continued…

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	6. Chapter 6

Once an ally

Chapter 6

"_Is this good, though?"_

"_You mean you in my arms? It's more than good, Corrin."_

_The princess relaxed in the gentle embrace, slowly gathering the nerves to try holding Azura back. Her gestures felt awkward and everything in her mind told her she shouldn't be too bold, shouldn't assume she could just try whatever she wanted. But her heart wanted the closeness. Most of all, she wanted more._

She snuck one arm under the blue-haired princess, their chests brushing as she shifted closer to her, her nose stroking Azura's chin and Corrin grunting as she somehow pushed herself high enough for their noses to touch.

"What are you up to now?" Azura mused.

"I need to get used to this. I don't want to, I mean… It's so new."

She tried out a small, feather like kiss, Azura pinching her lips as she struggled against her urge to follow after her.

"I like you like this," she told Corrin, tenderness like honey on her voice.

The following kiss was firmer, longer, Azura leaning into it, Corrin breathing hard through her nose to make sure she wouldn't have to pull away yet. It was very soft and warm, brushing her lips against Azura's, the fleeting feel of her tongue had her eyes jump open, but then she tried it out herself, the tips of their tongues meeting. Corrin had no idea what she was supposed to do at this point, but her instinct had an idea and the warmth she discovered was a welcomed surprise.

She'd dreamed of this, but never with the appropriate notion of how to picture the actual thing even remotely accurately. It felt sweet, sweeter than a hug and gentle while also violent. The panic she kept on pushing back at the idea this Azura could be taken away from her. They were joining a war. And the last war they'd faced together had resulted with her dissolving into those ocean-gray waves...

Blinking away a lone tear, she nibbled at Azura's lower lip, relishing her moan and finding herself moaning back.

"Can I kiss your face?" Corrin asked.

Azura hummed in answer and Corrin kissed her cheek, tasting the salt of dried tears and swallowing down the wave of feelings suddenly reawakened. She had to make her moan some more to compensate for those tears, she had to find the touches that would erase the pain, then maybe her own pain could disappear. She leaned to the side a little more, brushing stray locks aside to kiss the corner of her ear experimentally. Azura bent her neck to the side, almost wishing her hair was shorter, her hands running over Corrin's back, feeling her warmth through the fabric. There were so many layers in between, so many layers keeping them apart and she wanted to get them off if possible, to taste her arms fully.

_Don't push her though. She must be overwhelmed_, she tried to warn herself.

As overwhelmed as she was, Corrin felt adventurous, barely voicing another question before parting the cloak Azura wore over her dress open and planting soft kisses along her neckline.

"Oh!" This gasp was louder than the ones before and Corrin smiled against her skin, jumping as Azura's hands snuck under the hem of her undershirt, drawing lazy circles across her back.

"C...cold!" Corrin couldn't help herself.

"They'll get warmer, don't stop kissing me," Azura whispered, her voice singing a tune Corrin had never heard before.

It was a song of desire and love and the dragon princess knew she had to hear it more. She gave Azura's neck a longer, and more thorough kiss, finding herself sucking at the skin just a little, Azura yelping and humming her approval. Her hands were grazing Corrin's sides now, her cloak falling off, leaving her in just her cotton undershirt and pants. She felt somehow exposed, but Azura was rolling on her back and guiding her to hover above her, the very sound of her breathing so exciting, Corrin wasn't sure her body was reacting normally anymore. Heat was gathering in her lower stomach and her mind was abuzz with too many questions she didn't want answered.

She let her hands wander, unsure if she should touch Azura's clothes further. Yet she wanted to feel her skin, which was soft under her mouth, soft against her sides and the shivers they both created were good, better than anything they'd felt.

"Azura…"

"It's fine, you can touch me, Corrin."

As though to support her point, Azura let her fingertips climb up along Corrin's stomach, tracing the underside of her breasts, the dragon feeling something clenching in her chest, while her mind gave up on processing the escalating thoughts she had. She had looked at Azura often enough to know this dress by heart, but she'd never helped her take it off. Quickly realizing the sleeves were not a part of the dress, Corrin undid the blue ribbon on Azura's hips, biting her lower lip as the hands under her shirt cupped both of her breasts, giving them an experimental squeeze.

"Is this too much?" she asked her.

Corrin shook her head, a broken gasp in her throat.

It only took one tug to pull the dress apart, her eyes widening as Azura's undergarment was partially exposed to her eyes.

"Is this even a bra?" she mused, brushing the lace.

"My dress is thicker, it just needs to be… You know, who cares? You can take it off."

Corrin flushed a brighter shade of red, her tongue poking at the corner of her mouth as she tried to unfurl the rest of the ribbon, the barely-there skirt fully slinking off Azura's hips, leaving only one of her legs covered by her full-leg sock, while only one of her breasts was peeking out. The choker-like collar was keeping everything quite snugly in place.

"Why is this thing so complicated?"

"It can feel more rewarding if it's a little delayed," Azura told her, pulling her pants down to her knees and giving her thighs a quick rub.

Corrin was hoping and praying not to shake by now, because every soft touch helped her in discovering a new sensation, a new impression and if it was this intense when she was panicking deep down how good would it feel when she would feel entirely like herself?

"I don't want to be patient," the dragon princess admitted, dragging her hands along Azura's waist to dig her fingers into her hips, finding the tiny clasp on the side of her stocking and freeing her clothed leg, not bothering pushing the fabric entirely out of the way. "You feel so soft everywhere."

"As do you," Azura said back, caressing her back up and down and deciding she had enough dealing with a shirt in her way. She bunched it all up along with the extra fabric wrap she'd already pushed out of the way, Corrin forced to take her hands off her to help her in removing the garment, her arms falling back by her side, the bandaged one moving slower than the other, her chest going up and down a little too fast. Her hair had to look wild and she was pretty much entirely exposed now to the eyes of the woman she loved.

It took a conscious effort to keep her hands down not to hide herself, Corrin drawing her strength in the fact Azura seemed perfectly fine with being undressed.

"Oh love, you're beautiful."

"Azura…!"

The bandage on Corrin's arm was coming apart, Azura frowning as she realized what they were doing.

"Sit up and scoot back, I should fix this bandage for you."

"But I want to touch you!"

"You can work on getting the rest of this dress off me," she suggested, gripping Corrin's waist to firmly but gently push her down to a sitting position.

It felt almost awkward to have sensed that touch, the pressure of her thumbs and the brush of her nails, Corrin finding herself wishing for more touches, and caresses in places she had almost never touched herself.

"With one hand?"

"Indulge me, I want to make sure you're safe."

Corrin's throat tightened at the shiver in her voice, her head nodding quickly while Azura got to work, trying to focus her eyes on the wounded arm and not let Corrin's perky breasts and hardened nipples stir away her attention.

Her mouth was watering and there were twitches in the dept of her stomach at the idea of drawing new sounds from the silver-haired girl. She wanted to touch her everywhere, to help her understand nothing was wrong, nothing would ever be wrong. Not anymore.

"I don't want to rip off that… Oh! Why didn't you tell me it tied up to the side?"

"Your impatience was sort of adorable," Azura confessed, letting out a tiny gasp as Corrin lifted her still not fully bandaged arm to get rid of the offending fabric still covering her. The lacy underwear followed, Corrin kissing Azura to make sure no objection could be raised. She pushed the woman back down, moaning as she leaned fully into her, their curves brushing, lighting sparks and goosebumps. Pulling back from the kiss to take a good look at her, Corrin felt a knot in her throat as she noticed a white scar running under Azura's breasts.

"What… Who did that?!"

"It was a slash I took in a battle long ago, just not superficial enough to heal well."

"Azura!" the panic was back in her voice and Azura shook her head at her, cupping her face with both hands.

"Hush, hush, I might have more of those than you'd want, but I'm fine, I'm not dying. I'm not going anywhere, Corrin."

"I'm sorry, I hope you know this is only me caring too much, I don't want you feeling self-conscious, you're beautiful, beautiful, your skin looks like cream, I could just…"

"You can touch, Corrin. And you don't have to treat me as though I'm made out of cream. I will not break."

_But you vanished into the water, so how am I supposed to believe…_

Taking her up on her word, Corrin tried out the touches she'd experienced earlier from Azura, her knuckles gliding across her sides, her neck bending as she kissed the swell of her left breast, then the right. Azura was panting again and the very sound was enough to drive her insane with lust, insane with a desire she'd never let out before.

"They're so cute," Corrin whispered, cupping one breast as she kissed the other one, dangerously aiming for its tip.

"You're bigger than I am in that area," Azura noted, a light blush on her face as her eyes couldn't help the swaying of concerned larger breasts.

"You think?"

Corrin inched back and forth, pressing her chest closer to Azura and giving both of their bosoms a brief but curious inspection. The stillness was almost as good as moving, but the dancer wouldn't stand for it.

"I know they are! Don't tease me!"

Corrin laughed at that, a full, genuine laugh, gasping as Azura retorted by pushing down the last of her underwear and groping her ass.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't sound nervous per se, more surprised and curious than anything, and it comforted Azura into goading her a little.

"I'm discovering each and every one of your curves. I don't want to be idle, there's so much I've been..."

"You can do everything you want, Azura."

"Same goes for you."

These were dangerous words to say, but neither of them could even sense fear other than losing sight of each other.

"I want to make you feel good," Corrin said.

"You've already achieved it," Azura assured her.

"But even more than that."

"You're spoiling me and I also want to spoil you, stay where I can touch you."

"I'm just… really not used to this."

"Follow your instinct, I swear, you're doing very well. Oh… How bad does this sound?"

"I don't know. I'm not mad or anything. Let me hear your voice more," Corrin insisted, hoping Azura was feeling just half as nervous and a hundred percent as ecstatic as she was.

"But then that means you won't kiss me."

Corrin replied with the boldest kiss she'd given her yet, Azura bringing her flush against her, not caring much about her weight on her if it meant she could be comforted in the fact this was truly happening.

They stayed glued to each other lips, locked in this sweet embrace, taking in each other's warmth, sensing each other's beating heart. It was surely going too fast, but Azura wasn't ready to stop or to let anything slow down.

"If anything feels awkward, please tell me," she managed.

"Why would…" Corrin was cut off by the sensation of fingers reaching up her thighs, higher and further, her muscles twitching as she held back on the reflex to close her legs.

"Lie on your side, sweetheart."

Corrin obliged her, nuzzling at the skin of her neck now, Azura smiling at the wetness she found. Her first few touches were tentative, Corrin gasping and losing her focus, wrapping her arm tighter around the dancer as her fingers started a steady rhythm.

"Is this good?"

Corrin nodded quickly, breathlessly, trying to keep her voice down somehow. She could hear the wet sounds of her flesh being toyed with and faintly remembered she could have been doing this for Azura too. Her heart nearly jumped in her chest at the idea she might have her shivering and jumping like she was.

"Azura, I've never…"

"You're safe, you're safe, you don't have to hold anything back," Azura promised her.

She let one of her fingers tease her entrance, biting her lower lip as Corrin twitched and moaned in answer.

"Do you want more?"

"Please. _Please_."

The look on Azura's face was so very pleased, and her eyes so beautiful, Corrin had forgotten to feel embarrassed, accepting to be spoiled. She reached for one pale breast and gave its pink nipple a graze, gasping louder as Azura's fingers pushed harder against her clit from the jolt.

"I don't want to go slow."

"Then don't, Azura."

She didn't have to tell it twice, Azura pressing one leg against Corrin's to have her legs parting further, teasing her while her thumb worked studied circles around her clit.

Now the moans were mewling and Corrin's nails were nearly clawing at her side, her hips jerking upwards in small, uncontrolled motions, Azura overwhelmed with the scent of pure arousal invading the tent. She put a second finger in, realizing she was rubbing herself against Corrin's thigh and feeling a brief flash of guilt for not entirely focusing on the woman she loved.

"Did you ever try this by yourself?"

"It's nothing like touching myself, good gods, Azu….!"

The first spasm came, Azura letting her motions grow even hastier now, since she wanted her princess to ride her climax fully.

A broken scream made it out her throat, Corrin's head rolling back fully as her body clenched and unclenched uncontrollably around Azura's fingers.

The dancer wasn't quick enough to kiss her silent, she was too busy watching every one of her reactions, her heart swelling up with the knowledge this was her doing.

"Fuck!" Corrin managed shivering all over as Azura finally pulled her hand back, bringing her fingers up to her mouth and licking them clean. "Don't do that, I haven't…!"

"It's fine, Corrin. I hope you won't think less of me now that you know I'm not as proper as I…"

"Forget about that, I want you fully naked right now," Corrin said, finding the strength to raise herself on one arm, her eyes even hungrier than before.

"You look about ready to tear down my underwear," Azura laughed.

"I've always been curious. Is that really the only layer you wear under that dress?"

Azura made no motion to help her in discovering the truth, so Corrin slipped her fingers around the waistband, finding a small button on the left side.

"How intricate do you like your clothes?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't be, I'm half teasing, at any other time, I'd prefer to know you're safe from your dress and panties just flying open as you dance."

Azura blushed, lifting up her hips as Corrin lost no more time pulling the garment down, a contraried moan coming from the dancer as her dragon princess backed away to make sure the piece of clothing was entirely off. But Corrin had a plan as she shifted closer, her head leaning low so she could kiss her way up one leg and then the other.

"Oh… Don't bite me, if I have any marks…"

As though egged on even more, Corrin sucked at a spot on her inner thigh, high enough that no one should be able to see it. Azura was growing impatient if how far she parted her legs open was any indication, Corrin teasing her blue pubic hair. Azura flushed at the sight of the other woman staring so blatantly at her. And the feel of both of her hands stopping on either side of her sex, her thumbs pulling her lower lips open a little.

"Oh gods!"

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it's just… sort of embarrassing."

"You're so pink and pretty."

Azura had a few ideas of what she wanted Corrin to do with her pink flesh, gasping as both thumbs ran across her labia, applying a gentle pressure. Corrin's red eyes were flying from her core to her face, trying to spot if anything was good or making her flinch. Azura had to bite her tongue to hold down her voice as her clit was merely skimmed by. Her muffled moan didn't escape Corrin's ears, her eyes curiously looking for the cause. She was still aching from cumming and needed to see Azura feel the same way.

"How do you usually start?"

"What?"

"When you're alone, how do you…?"

"Corrin!"

"Fine, but you should talk to me. I don't want to hurt you."

"Your nails seem to be short enough, I think you know why I'm…"

They smiled at each other, wondering how they could turn something that should feel so embarrassing into pure bonding.

"I love you," Corrin whispered, leaning down to kiss the spots her fingers had touched, her tongue licking along her folds, Azura gasping and covering her mouth.

"You don't have to…"

"I wanna learn what's good for you. And my tongue is much softer than…"

This time the gasp was louder, Corrin sensing a shift in the air, her tongue brushing against even wetter skin than before.

"You like when I talk to you from here?"

"Oh, this is really not enough."

Azura was squirming next to her. Feeling almost high with the knowledge she was driving Azura right over the edge, Corrin nestled herself closer, letting her nose dig just a little into the sensitive skin, her fingers tracing more shivers, focusing on finding her clit while she whispered "where would you like me to touch?"

Her warm breath was undoing the poor dancer, Azura's hands reaching for Corrin's hair and somehow stopping before pushing her closer. It was all the hint Corrin needed, feeling both wild and a little worried that she might be going too far for someone as inexperienced as she was.

It was quite awkward, but every sound Azura made was worth the tension in her wrist as she found a way to insert in one finger while she teased Azura with her tongue and kept her other hand working her clit.

"Yes, oh, Cor…"

Azura's thighs pressed against her skull, Corrin fighting against a smile as she felt the tremors running through her and heard her voice. Was this a scream? An actual, blissful scream?

She pulled her face back but tried to keep the pressure going with both hands, Azura pleading for mercy soon after.

"It was good?"

"Oh dear, it was… I'm still shaking inside. Hold me."

She didn't have to beg, Corrin snuggling to her, their legs lying on top of each other's.

They kissed lazily, Azura riding out the aftermath and realizing she wanted even more now.

"Do you feel sleepy?"

"A bit," Corrin answered to her, kissing her hair.

"Sounds like you could handle some more."

"Oh, I don't know about that, I'm… I feel extra sensitive."

"So do I. Which means it would be even better!"

Corrin laughed, happily surprised with this outgoing side of Azura. When she felt her shifting around to sit up and the way she guided her hips towards her, she frowned. That angle would mean they could…

"Isn't that what a man and a…"

"It will feel good, trust me." Azura promised her. "Just… lift your leg for me."

"Ah! H-how are we even supposed to move if we…?"

Azura hopped forward, her breasts jumping as she arched her back, finding the right angle, both of them moaning deep.

"Now hold on to me and…"

Corrin struggled to hold herself on one elbow to give any jerking motion she made momentum, gripping Azura's hip with her free hand. And then Azura started moving for real, up and down and left and right. It was the perfect amount of stimulation, while also not being quite enough. And right as Corrin felt herself ready to lose it, the tent's flap flew open.

"Oh wow. Oh damn." Lyn whistled.

_Whistled_. Azura was frozen in place, her chest moving up and down too quickly from the exertion, absolutely not letting go of Corrin, which meant her over-sensitive flesh could pulse right against Azura's, the pair looking at the intruder.

"You girls sure know how to have fun, mind having a third player in?"

"Get out," Azura asked her, Lyn giving an apologetic bow and letting the flap fall back shut as she hurried on her way.

"This… That… Azura, we can't…"

"Corrin, breathe."

"Let go, we should stop, we should get dressed."

"Look at me."

Azura couldn't tell what exactly was going on in her head. Maybe the fear that this intrusion would have Corrin think what they just shared was wrong again?

"I love you. And I don't want to share you with anyone, but I don't want you to be embarrassed about us."

"Okay." Corrin breathed out, roughly, a shudder shaking her up. "Can I just be embarrassed in general though?"

"Of course, I'm sorry, I…"

"Azura, hold me, _please_."

Now there were tears in Corrin's eyes, Azura feeling her throat tightening at the sight. She didn't bother covering either of them, wrapping her arms around the other woman and hugging her close until the worst of it was over, kissing her again, and again, Corrin apologizing despite how many times Azura told her she didn't need to.

By the time they fell asleep, they were sore, but feeling a bit reassured. Corrin wished she could voice that her many apologies were not about being seen, or about the instant shame she'd felt. No, she mostly wanted to apologize for wanting her so badly she was ready to give herself to an Azura she hadn't really known for that long.

_I'm replacing her. We're replacing each other and for a few hours, it didn't feel wrong..._

Byleth was lying on her back, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes were vaguely focused on the irregular light patterns on the ceiling from the flickering candle, empty of any thought. Her attention came back when fingertips brushed her arm and she turned, smiling at Claude, and that goofy look on his face when he himself was coming down from the high of lovemaking.

"Hey, your cheeks are pink." He grinned at her.

"And?" she asked.

"That only happens if you _really_ enjoyed yourself." A cocky grin spread across his features and her eyes narrowed slightly and she turned her focus back to the ceiling.

"Am I so hard to tell that I'm having a good time?" she asked him.

"No. Just using it as a good chance to brag." He responded, and rolled up onto his side and reached across her, brushing his fingers against her jaw. She tilted her head back and followed the touch to look at him and couldn't help but give in and smile back at him. She liked to think she was getting better at showing him how she felt, or maybe familiarity with her had just taught him what her subtle expressions would mean.

He had been back at the academy for near a month now, and they had spent nearly every minute of it together. They were making arrangements for their wedding, and the official power exchange to leave the Cathedral to Rhea, freeing her to travel to Almyra the home nation of her husband-to-be. Insecurities started stirred in her chest again when the thought drived to the forefront of her mind. How could a mercenary ever make a Queen? Would Almyra accept this foreign peasant turned religious figure as their Queen? Her expression fell again but she was immediately pulled back into more pleasant thoughts when Claude captured her lips with his own.

"What did I tell you about spirit-projection? You want Seteth to kick down this door to see my glorious naked ass and call you a heretic?" Claude teased her. Byleth rolled her eyes as he pulled back, sitting up to kiss him again. "You're just trying to shut me up, aren't you?" He accused. She let out an amused huff and kissed him again.

"Just thinking."

"You always look like you're up in the stars when you do that." She brushed her fingers against his cheek, finding his rough stubble both appealing to look at and to touch. She enjoyed the taste of his kiss, and the way her cheek scratched when he nuzzled her. He turned his head and pushed her jaw with his nose, lips coming to her neck. "Should we get dressed and go for a ride?" he suggested. She pushed on his shoulders and forced a wide grin, patting his chest. She gave him a short nod and rolled from the bed, throwing the sheets in a flourish. "Hey! That was a joke!" He called.

"Seteth will be sending for me soon. If you want to take a ride this morning I suggest we hurry up and get dressed." She was certain he was watching her cross the two-step distance to her wardrobe. Rhea had offered to pass her own chambers onto Byleth, but she felt more comfortable in the small room she had been living in since coming to the academy. And it helped prevent the students from holding her on an uncomfortably high pedestal if she kept her modest room on the same floor of the academy as them.

"We should hurry up then, he's as punctual as he is snobby." Claude rested his cheek against his fist to admire Byleth for a few moments more. Watching the way she dressed herself in quick haphazard motions, lacking the fluid grace one would expect from the church's exalt. More fitting to the mercenary she was. She was certainly going to make a… curious, Queen to Almyra. She pulled her undershirt on and covered the large misshapen white scar on her right shoulder blade. An old wound incurred by the claws of a beast. He remembered how Raphael had torn the wolf's jaw clean off in retribution and had never been so grateful how close friends the two were. He even remembered, with a bit of embarrassment, the jealousy he had felt thinking the two had been _closer_ than friends. Only to happily learn he was mistaken.

"Too bad we can't just sneak out the window making getting dressed unnecessary." Claude complained as way of a suggestion.

"No." She answered, not bothering to look over her shoulder at him while she pulled her cloak on. Colder weather was settling in and she actually pulled her arms through the sleeves rather than clasp it over her shoulders per usual. And she even took to wearing proper pants. The new uniform was appealing in its own way but he couldn't deny a preference for more exposed skin.

"Fine fine. But I swear, chaffing from the saddle isn't terrible. You can keep your pants on if that's what you're worried about." He sat up, lifting his hands in a shrug.

"No." She repeated. She turned around as she finished buttoning the top of the cloak, hiding the cleavage visible with the immodest clothes beneath. He frowned at her.

"You put the cloak on just to punish me, huh? Wouldn't you prefer to give me a spanking?" He asked her, pouting his bottom lip.

"No, yes, and pouting is… rather un-Kingly. Now come on if we're going to sneak out."

"Wait, what was that yes?!"

"I'll fetch a quick breakfast while you dress." She finally turned to him and gave a sly wink before spinning on her heel, stumbling slightly, and slipping through the door ignoring his protest. She was certain he would catch up to her before she made it halfway to the dining hall, and was in fact planning on it. She hoped someone was there at such an early hour to at least hand them some bread and cheese, maybe a piece of fruit, that they could wrap up and carry with them for this pre-dawn ride and enjoy a meal together far away from the academy and everything and everyone within it.

She took her usual detour that would bring her past Jeralt's grave so she could bid him good morning before moving on. The season meant flowers were in short supply, but perhaps during their venture out she could pluck a wild flower yet to wilt. The pure pain of his passing was starting to settle into a routine sadness. A weight on her chest that would likely never leave, but didn't keep her pinned to her bed deep into the morning any longer.

Claude caught up with her just as she finished ascending the steps from the graveyard, out of breath from sprinting through the academy to catch up to her.

"Shamir always did say a morning exercise wakes you up better than any coffee." She offered him as he bent over his knees. "Did you honestly sprint all the way here?"

"Shamir is crazy you shouldn't take any advice from her. I mean she's dating _Raphael_. Man. Never would have seen that coming…" he ambled off and shook his head to get the mental image of his former professor in bed with the gigantic man.

"Could say I'm crazier for picking you." her smile was subtle, but he knew it well.

"Well, m'lady, shall I escort you to the dining hall?" he offered, holding out his arm.

"Only if you don't call me m'lady again." She ignored his outstretched arm and instead walked beside him. He dropped the dramatic pose and tried to just grab her hand. The gesture felt childish, but she squeezed his hand back. The inside of the dining hall was dark, the candles not yet lit meaning no one had started work. She wasn't sure who was assigned today, but she suspected Hilda. They were not short on rations or supplies so she helped herself to some food and pulled the last three potatoes out of a sack so she should stuff their food inside and slung the sack over her shoulder.

"Got us some tasty stuff?" He asked.

"Basics. Bread, cheese, a few peaches."

"Not gonna cook us up something?" he forced a pout

"I can burn some bacon and undercook a few eggs in the grease and put it all on over-buttered also burnt toast."

"Why not burn the eggs too and round things out?" He smirked at her and her eyes narrowed. She walked up to him and rolled her shoulder to sling the sack. Claude flinched and caught it, Byleth letting go and walking past him after patting his shoulder.

"Complainers get to carry the goods."

"Wait, since when?" He asked and jogged lightly to catch up to her.

"Gotta take advantage of still being the one in charge. Once in Almyra you're King."

"Like every King in history wasn't secretly ruled by his Queen's whims."

"Well. At least one will be." She agreed, nudging him with her elbow. It was only a few more paces when an intense ringing started in her ears and a flash of light forced her palms over her eyes, the ringing drowning out the sound of Claude calling her name and she never felt the hands that passed clean through the space where she once stood.

Byleth groaned, utterly overwhelmed by sensation. Blinded and deaf she lost her balance and fell to her knees. She caught herself with a palm and the stone beneath her hand didn't feel like the walkway from the dining hall to the stable. The stones were colder, rougher. She squinted, looking up to four blurry figures. She reached for her hip, and cursed realizing she had never tied her sword to her hip. _Shit!_ Shamir would beat her senseless for such a rookie mistake. And she would owe a smack to Claude for good measure for letting her let her guard down.

She got to her feet, trying to blink away the blur and make sense of her surroundings. She had daggers in her usual boots but had slipped into her winter pair anticipating a cold flight with Claude, and hadn't moved the weapons. She cursed herself again and tried to look around some more as things finally started to form edges.

"Please. Byleth." She turned and looked again at the people standing there in foreign uniforms and thick foreign accents. It was difficult to understand them unless she focused.

"Why do you know my name. Who are you?" She asked.

"We can explain everything."

"Start." She retorted quickly. The one speaking was a young man with frosted blue hair. She was given what felt like a rehearsed speech. She studied his face for lies. A twitch of the lip, or a squinted eye. A tug on his ear, or a shifted stance. But he stood firm, speaking his words of war and the need for help and neither his face nor voice staggered. _Claude?_ She stepped backwards and looked around her for signs of him. But she was utterly alone on this stone structure. _What is this powerful magic?_ She had seen enemies appear and disappear at will. A trick she always assumed was the work of illusion and distraction. But was it possible they were able to alter their location at will?

The questions swarmed and her anger rose. She had been hearing of unrest to the far north, was this what they were planning? She listened to the words, missing one occasionally due to the thickness of their accents. But then a familiar voice came through the confusion and she made out a very familiar face.

"Professor! I am here to be doing the reassuring of you! These people are being the most kind, they are intending you no harm." Those distinct tattoos, that familiar smile. Her hair was longer than she remembered, pulled back into a low ponytail instead of her usual style.

"Petra." Byleth replied, feeling foolish and off guard that was the only reply that she could manage. "What have these people done to you?" She stepped forward but stopped when Petra lifted her hands and shook her head.

"Nothing! I am knowing of the confusion you must be having. I was having the same during my own arrival here. I make the promise professor, they mean you no harm. I am having the greatest of happiness to see you! Please be joining me for breakfast, everything I will be explaining to you."

"Askr?" Byleth asked. She frowned, staring down at this ghost standing before her in place of all the other questions that were coming to her mind. She remembered Petra falling in battle, and the sadness in her eyes.

"This strange place is calling itself Askr. These people here are needing of our help. They are making the calling of many warriors from many worlds to their side."

Byleth crossed her arms, trying to wrap her head around this. If Sothis was still with her, she might have known right away if she could trust these people.

"Fodlan…"

Petra offered a brief nod, glimpse of regret showing on her face.

"There is no finding Fodlan or Brigid again. It's a one-direction travel."

Which meant that unless this was a nightmare, she wouldn't see her Claude again. Or the former students she knew. Her chest felt too tight as the knowledge sunk in. And with it came a wave of exhaustion that almost made her knees buckle, Petra catching her as soon as she wavered.

"Professor! Is your body feeling unwell?"

Byleth pushed her back, steadying herself, shaking her head.

"These people are fighting a war and recruiting new soldiers from… parallel words?" she surmised.

"That is right, professor! I'm being quite happy to have you here!"

Byleth looked back at the blue-haired prince and his sister.

"I used to be a mercenary and a teacher," she said, slowly. "I don't understand you very well. But if you call more of my students here…"

If Petra was here, that meant she could see more of them. Lorenz, Hilda, maybe even Claude. Although the fact the Petra in her world had died and this one was here… She pressed one hand against her forehead, sensing a violent headache building up.

"We're not forcing the people we summon to fight for us. We're simply asking. There will be a tent and a sword for you in our camp," Sharena started.

Byleth blinked at the princess. Why was her accent so thick?

"Slower, I can't… Your speech feels foreign," she explained herself.

Alfonse and his sister exchanged a concerned look.

"We're very sorry," he told her, making a small bow. "Would you come with us for now? We can give you food and shelter. And try to explain things more later."

Petra looked expectantly at Byleth, who gave a small nod in assent. She took her first step into Askr, finding the urge to look over her shoulder. Her eyes longed for Claude's silhouette beside her. For his calloused hand squeezing her palm. There was a throbbing sensation in her chest, but she walked on. She'd lost so many things in a single instant. And deep down, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen in Fodlan...

To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Morning came with abject mortification on Corrin's part, while Azura was definitely embarrassed but playing it down for the sake of saving face. Lyn had waited for one of the ladies to walk out of the tent to offer her apologies, Raven and Leo minding their own business on the very far side of their camp.

Azura had gone out first, Corrin staying in the tent a tad longer to store up all of their things and almost starting to disassemble the tent from the inside. She needed something on which to pass her nerves, and a little longer to give her eyes a chance to be less red and puffy. Falling asleep crying had done her no favors.

Seeing the furtive looks Leo was giving her as she stacked the bedrolls out of the tent, the young princess huffed and hurried through her tasks. Azura seemed ready to help her, but as soon as she knelt by her side, Corrin jumped to her feet. It was too flagrant and she felt bad for it, but she needed some space after erasing all of it last night. When she swallowed, her throat felt too tight, her brother jumping as she pat his shoulder, asking if they had had breakfast already.

"Not yet, I… I'm not sure I should even be consulted about it, seeing as I'm supposed to be a prisoner," he observed.

"Is he really, Raven? That's far from necessary."

Raven ignored her, mumbling something about fetching some water and hunting for eggs.

"Eggs?!" Leo repeated.

"Seems your prisoner status is pretty much revoked, brother," Corrin said, giving him a playful nudge.

Those gestures felt right, even though she knew this was a version of her brother from another world, just like Azura. A little voice in her head wanted to argue with her that if being friendly and familiar with this version of her brother was fine, surely opening her heart to one Azura was fine.

"Don't tease me. And don't touch my hair until you've washed your hands, please." he added.

His words were like a slap in the face, Corrin flinching. Leo mentally chided himself at the sight of her falling face.

"Sister, I don't mean to be insensitive, we… we sort of heard you and I'm flustered. It's just coming out sounding wrong."

She flushed, feeling the bubbling shame invading every ounce of calm she'd gathered within herself.

"I'm very sorry," were the only words that came to her, even though the princess wasn't sure for which part she was apologizing.

For being noisy? For forcing him to know her inclination, or for even having said inclination?

He frowned, a light shake moving his head from left to right, but no words following. She should have known that quiet reserved Leo wouldn't be any help after this.

"Hey! No need to be so gloomy," Lyn interfered, sensing the tension between the siblings. She'd tried chatting up Azura, but the singer was monosyllabic at best. "Not enough sleep makes people grouchy, but it's no reason not to meet each other halfway. We've got a family closer to a reunion, we can plan this mission to question Xander and we get to eat warm meat and sleep in the thickest bedrolls we have tonight."

"What mission? What do they want with Xander?"

Raven was just getting back and he rolled his eyes at Lyn, the green-haired woman shrugging at him.

"Leo, please," Corrin whispered.

"What, I'm no prisoner, but I don't get to understand what is going on?"

"All can be explained in due time," Lyn insisted.

"Which had better be as soon as we arrive at that main camp of yours."

Breakfast was a brief affair, Raven lacking the promised eggs and resigning himself to whip up galettes of flour in a pan to go with their dry meat. Azura didn't even try to sit next to Corrin, giving the dragon some space. Lyn did most of the chatting, talking about a certain Priscilla and Lucius, Raven growing antsier by the minute, but he would retort with foreign names of people Lyn clearly knew, reminding them it wasn't just the three of them pulled away from their homeworld. The whole camp of soldiers except for the Askrians were people summoned from as many countries and worlds as there were in the cosmos.

They briefly argued about their riding arrangements, mostly about whether or not they should throw Leo on a horse while tied up like they'd done yesterday. Corrin was tempted to suggest riding with him, but she was also afraid of what a further talk with him on the subject of her recent nightly activities would entail… In the end, Lyn took Leo on her horse, sitting in front of her while she guided the horse with her thighs, Raven following closely and Azura and Corrin sharing the third horse.

Corrin climbed up first, her jaw tense as she offered her hand to Azura to help her up. The dancer tried sitting as far as her as possible, but it wasn't quite possible while riding. They were both acutely aware of each other, of the roll of their hips to follow the horse' movements and the pressure of Azura's chest against Corrin's armor.

"You'd better hold on to me not to fall," Corrin said flatly.

"I can hold on to the saddle just…"

"Azura, I know I stepped back, but I don't want you breaking your neck," Corrin insisted, her voice betraying emotion this time.

It was so charged, Azura felt her heart twisting. The whole morning had been pure torture. After tasting how sweet each other's embrace could be, denying themselves, even with reason and propriety… It was wrong. It had to be plain wrong. But Corrin still had a point when she'd asked.

"_In the long run, how can I be anywhere as good as someone who's already gone? How long can we dream until we wake up?"_

It was so strange to think Corrin was the downer this time. It would normally be Azura voicing reason and Corrin cheering her up.

_How different are we from the original and how bad is it to be any different? Deep down, we surely have the same heart,_ Azura thought.

Their ride remained awkward despite how quiet they both were, exchanging words only to check if the other was okay if they mustered a gasp or a huff. They whispered throughout the horses' gallop, making it hard to notice sound, but Azura's ears were tuned to Corrin's voice and Corrin's dragon senses were stronger than most.

Lyn pushed her horse, well enough that they reached the Askrian camp the middle of the afternoon. They had agreed to not stop if it meant reaching camp earlier. She leapt off her horse, Leo getting off with shaky legs from the extended ride. Raven focused on the animals, Lyn and Leo checking on the princesses accompanying them. Azura made sure to get off on her own, while Corrin accepted her brother's help to step down.

"You made it back!" Sharena greeted them.

Lyn smiled at her, making a small gesture to point out Leo, Sharena nodding her acknowledgment.

"We're going to need food, we skipped lunch to get back faster," Lyn said.

"Oh, I'll warn the cooks then. We can meet up in Alfonse's tent. You're very welcome, your highness," Sharena added as she turned to the blond man of the little group.

"I… Do you know me?"

"Leo of Norh, you're registered in our books. We'll explain everything over lunch, if that's okay with you?"

He gave a dubious look to Corrin who shook her head at him, a tentative smile growing on her face.

"Does this feel worse than Veronica's army?" she asked him in a low voice.

"It feels _too _friendly. If I see any of your Hoshidan siblings, I'll understand why..."

…

Fjorm had been awake for the last two hours, feeling a lot steadier than she was during the last few days. Her fever had finally gone down and while she still sported nasty bruises under her bandages, and the burn scars were still fragile and fresh, she felt more herself too. She was still isolated in a very well furnished tent, which had her wondering just how permanent this camp was. Alfonse had taken the habit to read and work through his maps in her tent to keep her company, and -at least she suspected- to keep an eye on her.

She rolled her shoulder uncomfortably, trying to ease the itching in her right arm but knew that doing so would reignite the pain. It had finally finished fading off since she re-soaked the bandages with the diluted wine solution the field medic had provided Alfonse. Lying in bed most of the day had her legs feelings numb and pacing around the tent only made her feel claustrophobic and toyed with the idea of venturing around the camp. _Can you trust those strangers?_ She winced, and instead walked over to the shelves stocked with various scrolls, maps, journals, and small clay models that were placed all over the maps to mock a battle arrangement. She ignored those and the thoughts they brought to mind and reached for one of the many books Alfonse had stashed in the bookshelf.

She found one that caught her attention and returned to her bed, lying on it to begin reading. After a dozen pages the tent flap moved and she flinched, sitting up on the edge and let out a breath when she saw it was Alfonse.

"Oh, I hope I didn't frighten you." He greeted.

"No." She lied. "Welcome." She added after a moment in ways of trying to return his greeting. She closed her book, running her thumbs over the cover.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. She watched him take off his cloak and drape it over the chair in the corner of the tent.

"Better." She replied. He walked over to her, kneeling down on the floor so he wasn't towering over her. "You can sit," She scooted over to the head of the bed, moving her rolled linen pillow aside and pat the spot next to her. Alfonse got up and sat at the foot of the bed, turning to face her.

"How's the bandages?" He asked.

"Beginning to burn, so I put more of the wine-washing stuff on it." She gestured at the bowl left from the morning's bandage change.

"May I see?" he asked. She nodded, holding out the offended arm, wincing slightly at the tug on the tender flesh on the side of her chest and her underarm. She had a vague worry in the back of her mind about scarring but forced it away just as quickly. "I should change these." He suggested. Fjorm frowned, chewing the corner of her lip. The pain of the morning change had only finished dulling, the idea of doing it again made the hair on her other arm and the back of her neck stand on end.

"Want me to fetch you wine?" He offered, and tried to think how their supply of poppy was doing, though knew she would reject the offer of it nonetheless as she had been doing since one dose had left her unconcious for six hours.

"I suppose it would be less uncomfortable." Fjorm replied. She disliked the idea of being intoxicated in this strange camp, but this young man seemed so honest, enduring the pain with an unclouded mind for the sake of pride was folly.

"I'll be right back. Do you need anything else?" He asked.

"A bit to eat would do me good." She answered. He smiled, bobbing his head in a half-bow and ducked out of the tent. She smiled at the tent flap as he left and let out a short sigh through her nose. She tried to read a few pages while Alfonse was away, but found her mind drifting and running through her mind over the various ways she could ask him to eat a meal with her, setting aside the issue of her burn bandages for later. Most of her meals had been delivered to her, and once she was more recovered he often left her to eat her meal in peace. But it had been some time since she had been able to enjoy another's company, and had, over the last several days, been trying to work up the courage to suggest he stay for more than just tending to a patient. _Or am I just a well kept prisoner?_ She shook her head, curling her nose at the invasive thought.

He returned and she smiled, brushing the top of her book again.

"Welcome back."

"I brought some stew, bread, and managed to grab a bit of cheese. Just don't tell Anna." Alfonse replied.

"Care to join me?" Fjorm replied, feeling a bit of heat in the tips of her ears.

"Oh. Umm… yes." She could see he wasn't expecting this request, the food in his hands clearly only enough for one. But she wanted some company nonetheless, someone to talk to other than herself and the characters in her books. "I'll go get some more. You can start without me so it's still hot." Alfonse replied.

"Rude to eat without everyone at the table." Fjorm answered. He smiled at her and set the foot down on the small table. It was another painful few minutes inside the empty tent, debating if she should kick herself for her clumsy invitation, or congratulate herself on the success of it. But he interrupted her swirl of thoughts with his return, now with a bottle of wine tucked under one arm.

"I suppose it was well and good you gave me reason to go back to the mess hall, I forgot your wine." Alfonse said upon entering. The tent did have two chairs so they could both sit at the table that was otherwise being used to hold various medical supplies, temporarily relocated to the desk in the corner with Alfonse's cloak. "My lady," Alfonse held out a hand in a flourish, gesturing at the chair he pulled for her. She tried to suppress a chuckle, and the urge to tell him she hadn't earned such a fancy title. _I'm a Princess who was forced to flee her home._ "I meant no offense." He added with a frown, straightening himself and patting at his shirt to smooth out invisible wrinkles. She forced a neutral expression to her face.

"You've done nothing, merely a bit of a sting in my arm." She lied, and felt immediately guilty for it. She took the seat, and let him push it in and take his spot across from her. He poured them each a cup of wine, tearing off a piece of bread for her and a chunk of the cheese. She dipped the bread into the stew and took a mouthful, following it with a sip of wine. He asked her about her book, and she started to talk about it, her enthusiasm growing as he seemed to actually be interested in listening to her, and even more so when she got to talk about her favorite character; a talking lizard who feigned being the spawn of a dragon who protected his master by letting him carry around the illusion he was a great dragon tamer.

"Have you read this one? Surely I am only telling you what you already know." She asked eventually.

"I did… but it's fun to hear someone else get excited about it." Alfonse replied.

"Who is your favorite character?" his face brightened at the question, and he answered, both falling into talks about the merits of characters they liked or disliked. Aspects of the world that felt real or fake. They lost track of time, Fjorm telling him of myths and books from her home, and Alfonse told her of the ones in his. The bottle of wine was finished by the time they remembered that her bandages were in need of changing.

"Do you feel all right to do this?" Fjorm asked. But when she stood up her body felt light and she realized she may have had significantly more wine than him. He assured her he had paced himself so he could be a proper caretaker, and asked her to lie on the bed and make herself comfortable. She did so, holding out her right arm as best she could without tugging at the rest of the tender tissue under her arm and over her ribs. The bandages had dried again, stained with a combination of the dilute wine, pale pink blood, and a yellow fluid.

Alfonse collected the supplies he needed, doing what the healers had shown him. He made an offer to go fetch an healer and their festal, but the mention of magic had Fjorm withdrawing again, her white skin paling further and he backpedaled on the idea, holding his tongue that it would help reduce scarring.

He started by soaking her bandages, her arm held over a basin on a stool, and a pitcher filled with water poured over it. She winced and hissed, nodding each time he asked if she was okay, shaking her head _no _when asked if he needed to stop. With the bandages sufficiently saturated he found the knot and undid it, beginning to roll it back.

The wounds were starting to scab over in places, some of them lifting as the bandage was peeled away. Pink-orange tissue was left exposed to the air causing Fjorm to bite her lip to try and keep her whimper contained. The pain was almost instantaneous, and she was grateful her mind was fogged by the alcohol. She could smell that distinctive smell of burn flesh, memories of her village burning vivid behind her eyelids. Her feet felt numb as she remember running through the snow. Her fingers flexed, needing to move, but balling her hands pulled the tender tissue and only make things worse.

With the old bandages fully removed she could see her arm. Her general skin was a deep pink, and she doubted the dilute wine had anything to do with it. She was coated in large patches of exposed pink tissue, others orange. One wound on her wrist was concerning, a sickly yellow seemed to coat one half of the wound. Curled dry brown tissue lined most of the opened burns, flecks of the blackened tissue that had yet to peel off clinging stubbornly. The smaller wounds were scabbing over, two of them oozing a watery yellow drainage, and one bubbling with fresh blood as its scab had peeled away with the bandage.

Her arm smelled foul, and shame washed over her. She wanted to ask for a bath, but the idea of delaying wrapping her arm made her instantly nauseous. _Stop being so stubborn. Accept the poppy._ She thought; but banished the idea. She didn't know these people. She wanted to trust Alfonse. But could he honestly protect her from a full tent-city of soldiers? Would he oppose those other figures of power he spent his time with should they consider her their enemy, and conveniently incapacitated by drugs? _They would have done so when you were too injured to move_. An argument she had been having with herself since she regained the strength to walk further than the bed to the chamber pot, toying with the idea of fleeing. _What if these people can fight Surtr?_ She thought instead.

The pain burned, her arm white with agony. Her chest was still wrapped, wound care designated to one of the female healers under the promise she would never use a festal on her. _It would stop the pain_. No. Another question about her state, and with reassurances she felt as okay as she could he started pouring the last of the dilute wine over her wounds. She hissed, and made other noises that made her feel ashamed. The last bit of the liquid was reserved, the fresh linen wraps soaked in them and carefully wound around her hand, working his way up her arm to her axilla. She was glad her fingers seemed to be spared the worst of the burns, she was likely to retain use of her hand.

"There…" Alfonse stated as he tied off the bandage. Fjorm gave it a look, admiring how neat it was. He was a fast learner.

"Thank you."

"You should get some sleep, you look worn out from that." Alfonse offer. She shook her head,

"If anything I feel restless." She replied. "I've been cooped up in this tent, as lavish as it is, for some days now. Perhaps… perhaps we can walk?" She asked. She saw his eyes widen at this, but he quickly relaxed and smiled at her, reaching out to brush some hair from her forehead.

"If you want to, of course we can." He replied.

"Perhaps you can show me that place where you summon people?" She asked. Curious about this powerful magic, hoping that it could answer the question of how much she could trust these people. If the comfort she felt around Alfonse was wise.

"We can go anywhere around camp, although I wouldn't want to tire you out," the prince noted.

Shrugging wasn't quite wise in her state, so Fjorm gave a light nod, realizing the wine had made her movement dull. She didn't want to risk collapsing on their walk.

A throat clearing from the opening of the tent caught Alfonse's attention, preceding Sharena stepping into the tent.

"I thought I'd find you here, brother," she greeted him, giving a smile to Fjorm.

Fjorm waved with her left hand, still unsure what to make off the other Askrian royal. Alfonse was serious, while his sister seemed quirky and upbeat.

"Is something happening?"

"Corrin and the others are back." Sharena started. "They're eating in our tents right now. They found prince Leo out there and sort of…"

Alfonse raised an eyebrow at her, sensing the tension growing in Fjorm.

She didn't know what they were talking about, he hadn't really taken the time to explain what their war against Veronica entailed. He trusted her, but he didn't want her overwhelmed.

"Did they bring Leo back here?" His sister nodded, Alfonse getting to his feet, now all business. "I guess we should be glad he followed. Fjorm, I'm sorry, would you mind postponing our walk until after this meeting?"

Her pale cheeks flushed slightly, Sharena bit her tongue to repress a tease for her brother. Instead, she turned to the other princess.

"If you want to go out, maybe you can join the meeting, Fjorm. You can get a feeling of what we're doing. I know I'd be going insane if I was cooped up in here for an extended period of time."

"I... Wouldn't I be a nuisance?"

Sharena shook her head

"You don't have to participate, but you can definitely assist. I don't see any harm in it, do you, brother?"

"I mean… As long as it doesn't feel overwhelming…"

Fjorm wondered how many people could be concerned by this important meeting. But she was also curious to get to know them better and gather a better idea of who those people were. Maybe this was an occasion for her to determine if they were allies or not.

"I can give it a try?" she finally said, pushing herself off the edge of her bed to test her legs.

They were still numb, her movements slow from the pain and the wine, but she felt stable enough to step out.

"Alright then."

He offered her his arm, not really thinking about the implications. Fjorm rested her left hand on it and followed him outside. There were a lot of explanations and confusion for the first few minutes inside the tactical tent. Corrin was happy to see Fjorm standing on her own two feet, but Fjorm barely remembered her and was doing her best to hide her jumpiness. Being around this many people at once was harder on her nerves that she had expected.

The bridge under construction was a threat they needed eliminated since it would give quick access to their main camp. So far, neither army had been able to gain ground on one another, but Veronica was not as scrupulous about risking her soldiers' lives. After much discussion, they came to a decision.

"We should make this into two missions," Alfonse started. "One group will gather the enemy's attention while another, smaller group will attack the bridge. Corrin, do you think you can destroy that thing in your dragon form?"

The dragon princess nodded stiffly, sensing Azura unease. Changing into a dragon could make her a target, but it would be the most efficient way to get rid of that thing.

"Magic could also work," Leo pointed out.

Sharena seemed ready to agree, but Anna cut her off.

"While it's good to have a back-up plan, I would not recommend sending off only our most recent recruits for this."

"I can accompany them," Sharena declared.

She gently elbowed Kiran who was sitting between her and Anna, the sleeping man jumping in his seat and grunting.

"What do you think, Kiran?" the Askrian princess insisted.

He shrugged and Alfonse smiled grimly.

"Sharena, Hilda, Corrin, Leo, Lyn, Raven and Azura, do you think you'd be enough? I'll deploy with the other team."

"Do you really just want to work on a diversion, brother?" Sharena asked him.

"Diversion and reconnaissance, I guess? I'll take Rolf, Lon'qu, Ninian, Minerva, Olwen, Hawkeye, Lucas, Serra, Marth and a few troops."

After some more discussion, the meeting was adjourned, Alfonse speaking for a little while longer with Kiran and Anna about what should be done back in camp while they would be on the move. Corrin and Azura escorted Leo to a tent, most certainly Raven's so he would be "kept under watch".

"I heard you wanted to see around the camp?" Sharena asked Fjorm as she remained behind to wait for Alfonse.

"That'd be nice," Fjorm answered, glancing at the Askrian prince.

"I'd like to have you meet some more of us!" Sharena declared excitedly.

"I… How many people do you have in this camp?"

"We're a little over 300."

Fjorm brought one hand to her forehead, feeling even more overwhelmed now.

"All of them are people summoned from other worlds?"

"Oh no! At least, not yet, we don't have enough orbs to summon that many people, but we do have our own Askrian troops, all the aides and recruited villagers who help by keeping the camp together and well fed."

Fjorm had never imagined an army camp of this size. Her brother led small platoons, she had trained among them when she was still mastering the lance. Her hand clenched as she refrained from looking for her weapon. She had left it back in the tent where she slept.

"I think I'd better rest," she decided.

"Oh, certainly, certainly. If you were not feeling good, you should have told me. I'll get you there."

Sharena offered her a hand to stand from her chair, but Fjorm shook her head with a light "thank you". Throwing one last glance at Alfonse, she caught his eyes looking for her and offered him an apologetic nod. There was something in his eyes that made her want to stay for just a little longer, but the pain was coming back, and she didn't want to be weak. She needed to heal if she was to serve as anything more than a pity-case for these people so used to facing battle.

…  
Corrin and Azura felt even more worn out after leaving Leo in his new "quarters". The warm meal had given them some energy they lacked from the skipped meal, and wine easing agitated nerves. Corrin pulled the tent flap, gesturing for Azura to enter before her. The sun was dipping behind the horizon leaving the tent mercifully cool. Once inside Corrin fastened the toggles on the tent to give herself an illusion of privacy. Or at the least, a few seconds of warning before someone could barge in.

"Today has been long." Azura commented, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry." Corrin blurted, wringing her hands together. Azura paused, initially about to ask _whatever for_, but felt a weight drop from her chest at the words. Corrin crossed the small space in a single stride, kneeling down before Azura, and reached for her hand. "I… I'm sorry. The last thing I ever want is to hurt you." She croaked.

"I understand if you need a bit of space." Azura replied.

"No… I saw that look on your face when I got up back at the campsite. You," _she_ "were always my best friend. I never want to hurt you." She continued, stammering her words and biting down on her bottom lip. She kept her eyes downcast, where her hand was gripping Azura's tightly. The songstress' hand reached up and cupped Corrin's cheek and tilted her face up,

"Corrin. I love you. _You._" Her eyes flickered up from their hands for a bare moment before looking down again. "Look at me." Azura asked in a whisper. She thought about how Corrin had been acting when they were alone, and when they were around the others. "Do you think me wrong for being inclined towards women?" she asked, her thumb brushing along Corrin's cheek. The question caused the other to look up sharply.

"No! There's nothing wrong with you at all!"

"Then why do you think yourself wrong?"

"I don't… I mean… I-it's not that. I guess… I love you too Azura. I have for a long time. And I don't know how to do this." Corrin struggled with her reply, gripping Azura's hand painfully tight.

"You can start by being the dear friend that you've been."

"I think I can do that." Corrin smiled now, and Azura smiled back at her.

"And perhaps... Indulge me in a kiss?"

"I think I can do that too." Corrin moved first, leaning in and brushed her lips against Azura's, feeling that warmth racing through her chest. Azura cupped Corrin's other cheek, tilting her head to deepen their kiss. Daring to slip her tongue past Corrin's lips and taste her. Corrin returned it eagerly. Both hands now free she linked her arms around Azura, sliding them up her chest, pausing to stroke the sides of her neck and play with her earlobes. Her thumbs brushed over them and she felt Azura shrug hard and draw back from the kiss.

"You're tickling me!" she giggled. Corrin smiled, seeing that full expression on her face. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, the flash of her teeth as she let herself laugh. The moment was brief, and she wanted to see it again.

"What, this?" She asked, reaching out and brushed her fingers against the sides of her neck again, now purposely wiggling her fingers. Azura did the same shrug-giggle and Corrin bit her lip as she giggled herself, chasing as Azura drew back from her.

"Corrin!" Azura managed, reaching up to grab her wrists. She fell back against the bedroll, pulling Corrin down with her. She stopped tickling her, instead pulling at her high collar and pressing a kiss against her neck. The songstress' giggles turned into a sigh, tilting her head and arching her neck.

"This kind of kiss okay too?" Corrin asked.

"Hmm… most certainly is." She hummed back. She brought a hand up and wove it through Corrin's hair. It was a bit tangled, and she drew her hand back to avoid snagging and instead traced the tip of the woman's pointed ear.

"Then I'll do it more." Corrin said. She sucked at the spot on her neck, getting a gasp from Azura.

"You'll leave a mark."

"Your dress covers your whole neck!"

"And I shall lose all options to wear something else should you leave such a mark." Azura countered. Corrin nipped lightly at the spot and caused Azura to flinch and gasp, pinching the tip of her ear hard between thumb and forefinger.

"You seem to like it though."

"Curses be, I _do_." Azura whispered.

Corrin kissed the same spot with more intent now, relishing the shivers that ran over Azura. Her doubts from the morning were mostly forgotten, her hands eager to touch her again. To see if she remembered what little she'd discovered. She pushed Azura down on her back, holding herself up above her, her red eyes filled with the love she was slowly accepting within her.

"Can the dress go?"

Azura's eyes blinked slowly, her fingers running down Corrin's neck.

"Only if we're equally disrobed?"

She hadn't expected Corrin to be this eager after their embarrassment the other night, but the tent flaps were closed, they knew barely anyone across the camp and they were retired for the night.

"We just have to be quieter," the dragon-princess noted, blushing as she shrugged off her armor. Azura unclasped her dress, soon lying in nothing but her panties and stocking, wrapping her arms around Corrin to guide her head back to her neck. They both felt warm and the heat between them had the same rush as the first time, although they wanted to take things slow, to enjoy each other and most of all, to make sure the other was perfectly comfortable.

Lips to lips, noses poking and brushing, Corrin pulled back to toy with Azura's long hair, to see how well she could drape her behind those blue locks. She loved how her erected nipples poked out of her wild mane, bending down to tease her into a hushed gasp.

"How is your hair this soft?"

"It's actually quite tangled, but you don't seem to mind," Azura teased her back, pulling her pants and underwear down, her fingertips finding goosebumps on her skin.

Corrin was still wearing her white shirt, which could cover quite a lot, and while Azura was eager to get it off from her, they were both glad when a sudden breeze entering the tent came as their only warning for a certain green-haired archer.

"I'm sorry to barge in again, but I... Are you guys serious? Already at it?"

"By the gods, get out!" Azura yelped, Corrin frozen in place while Lyn shook her head at the pair.

"I've lived among a nomadic tribe, we always lived in tents or thin thin-walled houses, how about you leave a sign that will tell me I shouldn't visit?"

"This is so not the time to talk about this!" Corrin managed to speak, her voice more of a high-pitched squeak than anything. Azura turned to her side to glare at Lyn.

"Why are you even…?"

"You left some of your things in my pack by mistake. I'm deployed often enough to not wait and see if I remember in three days."

"Drop it and go." Azura sighed.

"Aye aye, sorry again." Lyn blurted out, quickly closing the tent flap in her exit.

For a good minute, the pair laid in silence, Azura wondering if Corrin was going to close up once more.

"Love? Are you okay?"

"I… How do you call me all those sweet names so easily?"

"I've had them in my heart for a while now," Azura confessed.

Corrin's smile was so tender, it seemed the thought was enough to push away this new bout of embarrassment.

"It feels like you had a lot more time than me to think about us."

"It's not a competition. I don't know if you've noticed, but I hardly open myself with anyone. It's refreshing to be able to do so with someone I trust entirely."

Corrin shook her head at her.

"I don't think I'm ever going to be able to outflirt you," she whispered with a giggle, leaning down some of her weight on the songstress. "Willing to tempt fate and keep going?"

"Oh love, if we're interrupted again, I'm nailing this tent down flap by flap." Corrin tried to push down her worries and her questions and silenced herself by pressing her lips tight against Azura's, feeling that flutter low in her stomach that hit between her legs. Corin ran her words through her head, _I hardly open myself with anyone_ and thought about her friendship with her. How fast she had bonded to Azura, and how she felt like Azura could read her like a book. How much she loved her smile, her rare laugh. And with a flash of heat rushing through her face and chest she realized just _how long_ Azura had been in love with her.

She kissed her hard, both hands on either side of her face and they fell back against the bedroll once more. She wished they were in the treehouse. Back in the deeprealm Lilith created. Where they could lie against her feather bed in a tangle of limbs.

She recalled childish sleepovers, that Azura insisted were perfectly fine and that Corrin should ignore the chiding of Takumi. She would always insist that Azura take her bed, and that she was perfectly comfortable in a bed roll on the floor. And the one instance Corrin had woken with nightmares and found Azura sitting on the floor next to her to comfort her and she sang a lullaby to Corrin. And rather than feel childish she felt comforted. Calm. _She loved you back and you were too stupid to see it._ She thought. But here was her chance, she was wrapped in Azura's arms, her body felt warm beneath her. She withdrew just enough to tug on the hem of her shirt, tossing it aside. _Don't lose your chance._

"I love you." Corrin said, her voice hoarse, breaking as she said her name. Azura sat up, weaving a hand into her hair and tugging her in for a fierce kiss, moaning against her and wrapping her other arm around Corrin's now bare back to pull her closer. It felt as though any distance between them would cause this bliss to fade and she'd wake up cold and alone in that stone castle, a ring the mark of her imprisonment and her status as nothing more than a tool. She squinted to keep the tears at bay, tasting Corrin's kiss, tongues seeking each other, sighing and gasping against each other.

Corrin wanted to tell her that she was sorry she never told her she loved her before she lost her chance, her mind slipping back into fighting with herself. But she shoved it back. _This is your chance. Our chance. _She reached to start tugging at Azura's undergarments, her hands fumbling but Azura lifted her hips and gave a little roll that made removing them easier. That tiny gesture had Corrin's mind spinning and she felt almost dizzy with sudden lust. She gave a clumsy roll of her own hips wondering how the hell Azura could be so graceful and sexy while she was just this clumsy mess, and however Azura could find her a turn-on.

"I do believe the nudity-balance in here is rather off." Azura commented. _God she's so much better than me at flirting!_ But she took the hint, drawing back again. Azura's eyes were wide and her pupils were dilated as she stared at her, both her palms against her hips, thumbs rolling hard circles against her skin. Corrin bit her lip, attempting what she thought would be a seductive expression and crossed her arms to lift her undershirt over her head. She winced, the injured arm flared up for a long painful moment but she shook her head before Azura could ask her question and finished casting her shirt aside.

Azura's wide gaze gave her a boost of confidence, and she attempted another hip roll and let out a sigh as she felt Azura roll back in answer, the friction just enough to tease and make her all the more aware of the building tension. But she wasn't sure what to do next, and felt too embarrassed to simply _ask_. So she bent down to tug at Azura's stocking, her last remaining article of clothing.

Now fully bare before her Corrin let her eyes wander over her form, but Azura wasn't going to endure the lack of contact for long. She reached out for her hips again and gave a hard tug, causing her to tumble over and fall on top of her. They both huffed, Corrin losing the last of her breath into the following kiss, and she could see Azura's chest rising and falling as her respirations quickened and _godsdamn_ did it make her breasts bounce in _just_ the right way. _Even breathing she's sexy! _ Corrin thought, feeling overwhelmed. But she reached out, her hands cupping her breasts and giving them a squeeze that caused Azura to moan. And she wanted to hear it again. She bent down to slide down Azura, kissing and nipping a trail of skin as she went.

She felt Azura's hips tilt up and roll against her, the woman's arousal evident and it only made Corrin feel even more rushed and fervent. She nipped Azura harder, her teeth holding fast just above the swell of her left breast, Azura responding by tangling her hands into Corrin's hair, her fingers curling and pulling in a pleasurable pain. She bit her again, just above her nipple, before taking her breast into her mouth and letting her tongue roll above the nipple and plant another kiss.

"Corrin," Azura whispered. Her voice was low and husky, and it sent a fresh wave of heat between her legs and the tension mounted. She needed Azura to touch her, soothe this ache. She couldn't find the words, too embarrassed to ask, too inexperienced to push things further. But Azura acted, her hand sliding in from her hip and up her chest to cup a breast. She rolled her stiff nipple between her thumb and forefinger and it was Corrin's turn to whimper.

She ducked her head against Azura's neck, her warm breath sending waves of goosebumps down her arms and it took all her self control to continue to draw out this teasing and fight the urge to tilt her hips _just_ the right way to make that blissful contact and bring them both to another plane. She wanted to spoil her but to also see how long it might take her to find her voice again, like on their first night. To erase the fear that might have laced with their pleasure so all that would remain would be the earth-shattering magic only they could create.

When Corrin panted her name against her neck, following it with another bite that she knew would leave a mark, she finally allowed her hand to slide down her abdomen and between her legs. Corrin's sigh immediately became a squeak and Azura couldn't help but giggle.

"What was that?" She asked, looking at Corrin with a smile that she was failing to suppress, biting down on her lip. Corrin's hazed and confused expression was just so adorable she had to sit up and kiss her, catch those lips with hers. She felt Corrin's tongue dart for hers, and remembered just what she could do with that tongue. _I aught to return that favor_. "Lie back love." Azura whispered. Corrin's confused expression only deepened but she allowed herself to be rolled onto her back.

Azura started as Corrin had, peppering the side of her neck with delicate kisses, her heated sighs tickling the other woman. She heard a few mumbled sounds from Corrin and she smirked, sure that she was simply questioning what she had in store for her. She reached for Corrin's thighs, her thumbs rolling teasing circles at the apex of her thighs but refusing to slide her fingers where her rolling hips were begging. Another whimper and Azura decided she had teased her long enough. She placed a kiss below her navel, and a finger's length below, until she stared down at Corrin's sex and smiled at her, brushed her fingers across her wet flesh causing Corrin's head to drop back and a low moan to get stuck in her throat as she slapped a hand over her own mouth to maintain the quiet she had stated.

Her tongue followed her fingers, tasting her, and finishing with a kiss. Corrin moaned again, muffled by her palm and her hips tilted up to chase Azura's mouth. Her second kiss was longer, and she sucked at Corrin's clit. Two fingers slid into her while she continued to work her with her lips and tongue. The smell and taste of her was overwhelming and she regretted how long she had taken to confess her feelings, that it took finding her dead love in another world to admit it. And even then it had been an accident, a slip, countless months of suppressing it.

Corrin's hands reached down, weaving into Azura's hair and started massaging her scalp, anchoring herself as she rolled her hips as she lost herself to her ministrations. The teasing seemed to have worked, for it took very little time for Corrin to tip over that edge. She let go of her hair to cry out against her fist, her deep moan shuddered as she tried to contain it, the motions of her hips slowing and eventually slumping entirely back, panting for breath. Azura rested her head against Corrin's stomach, looking up at her.

"Was that good love?"

"_Gods_ that's not even fair! How do you expect me to compete with that?!" she asked.

"Were you rendered deaf during our last interlude? I assure you, I very much so had an enjoyable time." Azura chuckled, thinking about how wonderful Corrin's tongue had felt.

"You're just trying to make me feel better. Gods… I could sleep for a week." Corrin sighed, then sat up a bit, "Well not yet, that'd be unfair." She added with a moment of thought.

"Quite so, I'm not done with you quite yet." Azura smirked. She brought herself back up over Corrin's form and tipped her head to kiss her. It was slow and languid, though Azura felt far from sated. She felt like a taut string ready to snap.

She guided Corrin's hips like she had done before, adjusting herself so her core met Corrin's. Both women gasped, Corrin still feeling oversensitive and she twitched at the contact. But both hands grabbed for Azura, her fingertips digging into her thighs. Her eyes were wide, and her breathing quick. It was Azura's turn to admire her breasts, and they way they bounced with the first roll of her hips.

Azura moaned, echoed by Corrin. She bit her lip to keep the sound contained, Corrin clamping a hand over her own mouth again. Azura admired her. The flush coating her face, the curious pointed ears poking through the mess of her pale hair, her wide red eyes as she dared a curious glance where they were joined. Corrin's eyes almost immediately closed and her head lolled back, reassurances stuck in Azura's throat as the pleasure mounted. Corrin tried to roll her hips and match Azura's movements, chase the second wave rising with new heat within her core. They moved and gasped, and in a moment Azura could have only hoped for they came together in a near-synchronized climax, Azura finding her peak only moments after Corrin's motions became more irregular.

They stilled, untangling their legs and panting for breath. A thin sheen of sweat coated their skin and as Azura curled herself against Corrin they felt sticky from the heat and she could smell the slight musk from their exertions. Their hair was tangled and both could do well for a bath. But beneath it all the woman within her arms was beautiful, her dear friend, and she felt her regrets melting away as Corrin's arms wrapped back around her. They had the clarity to get a blanket to cover them both, deciding that if anyone -most likely Lyn again knowing their luck- decided to barge into their tent then they would just have the fortune of seeing two sweaty lasses curled together... and possibly face the wrath of an overprotective brother.

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Corrin gasped as she awoke, sure she could still feel an ache throughout her body. Garon had shifted into a half-formed dragon, one clawed hand pinning her to the ground while holding her dragonstone between his teeth. He shifted his weight and just as she could have sworn she felt herself _pop_ she jolted awake. Her heart was racing and her mouth felt dry. She tried to lick her lips and the roof of her mouth, swallowing repeatedly to clear the back of her throat of the taste of bile.

She turned up onto her side, to see Azura still sleeping on her back where Corrin had curled up to her before drifting off. She couldn't recall when she rolled away and missed the warmth of her arms around her. But the thought made her bite down on her bottom lip and she sat up, gazing at the moving flap of the tent opening as it rustled in the nighttime breeze. The chilled air made her realize just how overheated she was feeling.

She gazed over at Azura, wondering if _her_ Azura had looked so peaceful when asleep. If she would sleep with her head lolled to the side, one arm draped over her stomach. The other, though, was still stretched out from where Corrin had fallen asleep in her embrace. She swallowed again, her mouth still dry. She remembered how warm she had felt in her arms before they dropped down against their bedroll; and tried to shoo away the memory of holding her Azura as she pleaded with her to smile _one more time_ before fading away. She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes to fight the sting of tears, gritting her teeth together to keep the pain in her throat from breaking into a sob. She released a slow shuddering breath and gave another glance at the sleeping woman beside her, watching her chest rise and fall. She glanced at her bare arms for signs of blue patches.

She shook her head, deciding she needed fresh air. She carefully shifted herself out from under the blanket her and Azura shared and reached to pull some layers back on. She walked to the small table that served as her desk, pulling Azura's pendant from the drawer. She slid out of the tent and stood with a stretch, feeling cracks along her back and sighed. She pressed her face into her palms, rubbing roughly.

She walked away from the tent, hoping she was heading in the right direction to reach the river. She looked up at the cloudless sky and wanted to drop onto her back and stare into the stars. She remembered a late night where Azura had stopped her on her way back to the treehouse to stargaze with her, trying to teach her the names of the constellations. Looking up tears started to burn in her eyes when she couldn't find a single familiar pattern. They weren't her stars.

The pendant was clutched tight in her hand, the intricate metal edging digging into her palm and she held onto it even tighter, her mind gripped with the irrational fear that she was going to drop it and never be able to find it again. She raised her hand to press it tight against her chest, using her free and to slip the chain around her neck.

Even at night the camp wasn't quiet. There was still the clamor of voices, popping fires, the sounds of instruments and singing. She wanted to get away from it. How could these people fight in battle if they were up all night? Soon the din of the camp faded away and she could hear the running water of the river that provided the camp's water. People were still milling about the shore, and she grimaced at the crowd.

Her eyes looked down at the hand clutching Azura's pendant to her chest and tucked it into her loose undershirt, crossing her arms over her chest. She failed to grab her cloak when she left the tent and the night air held a chill. She sighed, wanting away from the tent city and its noise. She walked upstream, watching people bathe and launder clothing. Some fished and others may have been swimming. She kept walking, the noise feeling like it was following her. But as the din quieted and the trees grew thicker she let the first sob break the ache in her throat. The dragon pendant that she ever wore around her neck felt warm against her skin and the ache spread to her limbs. She felt the skin around her joints tightening and the sharp pain in her limbs as they elongated. Her vision narrowed but grew sharper, color grew dimmer but light brighter. Her sob cut off into a low rumble and her pace slowed. She stared at the river, and dropped herself onto the sandbank.

She rested her head down and her vision stared out into the water. The damp sand was cold against her scales and she settled her wings over her back to shield from the slight wind. There were no people close enough to have witnessed her transformation, or to disturb her thoughts. She heaved a heavy sigh that sounded akin to the hoot of an owl, a mournful note that carried across the river.

She could see a long-necked white bird swimming in the ripples, its own song joining Corrin's lament. She silenced herself to listen to the song, her chest heavy as she wondered what Azura would think of it before squinting her eyes to chase away the thought and the pain it brought. She watched the white bird and it started to swim to shore. She stilled the twitching of her tail and wondered what type of bird this was. She was never good at such trivia.

The bird changed its tune as it approached the sandbank, leaving a gap of silence before it would repeat the notes. Corrin tilted her head, wondering what it was doing. But after another repeat of the pattern she tried to mimic the song of the bird. Her own voice was too deep, lacking the melodic grace. But the bird responded to her song with a different one. Something about the song helped to soothe her, drifting to memories of being sung lullabies as a child.

The bird came ashore and hopped up onto the sand. Its feathers were cream-white, or appeared so to the washed colors of her dragon-eyes. She kept her body still, unsure what it was doing. She had always known birds to be skittish creatures that flew off at the slightest startle. Why did this one think it wise to approach the giant dragon? But then the bird popped and turned into a young woman, startling Corrin hard enough to cause her to pop back into her own human form.

"You're a human?!" Corrin squeaked, catching herself on her arms before she fell on her back. The young woman smiled and nodded, then gestured at her.

"Uh. Yeah, guess I can change myself too. Umm… who are you?" Corrin asked. The first reply was a song, but after a few seconds of silence she spoke again.

"Leanne." Even her speaking voice sounded very melodic.

"Corrin." Answered, feeling a slight twinge of embarrassment of the blunt sound of her own voice compared to the delicate song. She was tall and lithe, appearing as though as gust of wind would carry her away. Her hair was long and pale-blonde. Initially Corrin thought it was extremely thick in a way that contrasted with her otherwise fragile appearance until she rolled her shoulders and she realized that Leanne had wings even in her "human" form. They were folded and held tightly against her body, her arms folded in front of her and held tight to her chest. Corrin bit down on her lip, seeing her downcast expression. Silence hung between them for several seconds before she took several steps back and turned back into her dragon form, legs folding under her so she could lie against the sand once more and tried to sing at Leanne, the broken notes already causing the young woman's body language to change.

Leanne smiled and looked up at Corrin and started to hum a song to her. Corrin's head settled down against the sand, trying to latch onto the fleeting happy feelings the song was bringing. Memories of song comforting her when sick. The way Azura would idly humm whenever she was busy with something and unaware of others paying attention to her; but oh how Corrin became enamored with that song. Her chest clenched, and she let out a low moan. Leanne's song paused and Corrin felt a new wave of guilt. She didn't want this strange girl to stop her song just because she couldn't keep her own thoughts sorted for more than a few moments at a time.

She tried to humm a few notes back to the girl, who simply frowned back. She took a step closer to Corrin and shifted back into her bird form and her song changed in pitch. She closed her eyes and listened to the song that she sang and started to lose the energy to sort through her thoughts and just let her mind mull on how much she just simply wanted to _lie_ there. Leanne was settled in the sand singing her lament, her feathers standing up slightly breaking the graceful silhouette she had when she first changed. She sang for some minutes before silence came again, and she turned back into the winged human.

"Sad?" She asked. Corrin shifted her head and looked at her, and then nodded. A few more seconds of silence and she turned into a human again, her whole body aching. She was overcome by the intense desire to _sleep_ and wondered how long she had lingered as a dragon to become this exhausted. The stone against her chest was warm and she tapped her hand to make sure she could feel Azura's pendant there next to her dragonstone. She let out a sigh when she found it, her fingers curling around it. "Sad." Leanne repeated.

"Yeah." Corrin answered, she slid the pendant out, running her thumb along the intricate design. "And confused." she added. "You from a village nearby?" Corrin asked to shift the subject away from herself and her feelings. But Leanne stood there passively, her brow coming together. "Where are you from?" Leanne hesitated, and Corrin was unsure if the girl was understanding her.

"Far away." She finally answered. Corrin looked around for any signs of a path or method of transport, wondering if she had possibly flown here. Leanne looked around to follow Corrin's gaze and shook her head, repeating her answer.

"You were summoned." She realized. How often did these Askrians pull people away from their worlds? Leanne nodded a bit, her expression a bit pinched as if deep in thought. She spoke a few words that sounded like a melodic song absent of lyrics. But after a few more moments she captured Corrin's gaze again.

"From far away. Very… angry… woman." The woman's chest rose and fell, shaking her head and she stepped back from Corrin.

"Hey hey, I'm not angry. I won't hurt you."

"No. Angry woman" She repeated, and looked over her shoulder then back at Corrin.

"Oh. The person who summoned you was an angry woman?" She wondered if maybe Anna's bluntness had set this odd woman off, and though she barely knew her she already had trouble picturing Sharena in a foul mood.

"From far away, here, Veronica." Leanne tried, the gaps between her words filled with musicality. Corrin felt the color drain from her face, her stomach dropping. Her shoulders stiffened and she saw Leanne back away from her,and she tried to adjust herself but felt her heart racing in her chest. _Is she an agent? No. She'd be stupid to admit where she's from. She looks scared_.

"You startled me. I'm sorry. I won't hurt you." Corrin tried to reassure, holding her palms up. She remembered the song she shared with her and stepped back to give herself the room to shift back into her dragon form. Her joints were already protesting at the mere idea of trying to change again so soon but managed it, and tried to humm her low song to the girl who was back in the water as a white bird. _Heron_ the word suddenly came to her with a fleeting memory of Sakura correcting her when she pointed to a bird and called it a loon.

Leanne folded her wings back against her body, swimming in place just out of Corrin's reach. She laid herself down against the sand and continued to sing, feeling almost like an awkward child. She wondered how she would like Azura's song, sung in her beautiful voice. She felt calmer thinking of possibly hearing that song herself, and sudden guilt at having left Azura alone in the tent surrounded by a tent-city of strangers. She wondered why Leanne had mentioned Veronica, and if she was in trouble. She pushed the mounting questions aside and continued her strange song. Eventually Leanne rejoined her, fluffing her feather and letting them settle back down against her body. They sang, though Corrin felt ashamed at how blunt her song sounded compared to the beauty behind Leanne's notes. _I really do gotta get her to meet Azura they'll be best friends in like a minute._ She thought to herself. She smiled, picturing her shy Azura making a friend. Even if that joy hid behind a slight jealousy.

Corrin carefully shifted back into her human form when she felt her body ready to snap. She knelt on the ground and panted, her whole body aching and pleading for her to crawl to sleep even if it meant doing so right here on the sand. Leanne also changed back into her human form and approached her.

"Sick?" she asked.

"Tired." Corrin shook her head. "I want to introduce you to my friend. Maybe we can help you." She offered. Leanne's eyes looked distant for a moment, and nodded before Corrin reworded her question. She finally stood, wincing slightly at the ache in her knees. She was going to hate herself when the sun got up and it was time to meet with the Askrians.

"Tired." Leanne replied, and tapped her chest.

"Umm I'll find you a place to sleep." She offered, though she was unsure how she was going to do this. She thought about Lilith, and knew she was overdue to see her dear friend and that she would never turn down someone in need. "I know I'm a stranger… but I'll help you." Leanne smiled at this, and Corrin noted the shift in her body language.

"You… you are kind."

"You seem really nice too." They started to walk downriver, towards the din of camp and the smells of campfire, food, mud, and people. Leanne stood closer to Corrin as things grew denser, and she tried to get her bearings and remember where Lilith's tent was in reference to the river. They walked through the rows, Corrin following the path towards the tactician tents so she could better figure out where she was. The camp was large, and she hadn't realized just how far off she had wandered. She bit down on her bottom lip feeling lost in the endless maze of noise, smells, and monotonous white, gold, and blue.

"Corrin!" She flinched hearing her name, and tried to look for the face to match that familiar voice. She immediately felt her heart begin to race and heat spread across her cheeks.

"Azura?"

"There you are." Azura rushed down the row and halted before Corrin, "I was worried." she threw her arms around her, who momentarily went stiff before recovering from the startle and lifting her arms to wrap them back around Azura. She took in a deep breath and sighed, feeling content for a moment.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you. Had trouble sleeping." She offered in explanation and drew back, biting down hard on the back of her tongue and avoiding Azura's gaze. The weight of the pendant on her neck felt like it was about to pull her to the ground and she glanced down at it, wishing she had tucked it deep into her shirt.

"Seems you made a friend?" Azura asked, her own gaze seeming to have caught sight of the pendant but turned her attention to the woman beside her.

"Oh. Yeah, this is Leanne. Leanne, this is Azura." Leanne glanced between her two companions and smiled, releasing the grip on her own fingers to give a small polite wave before dropping her arms and clasping her fingers behind her back.

"A pleasure to meet you." Azura smiled, getting a nod in return. "Out late." she remarked.

"She was at the river." Corrin paused, trying to piece together the bits of their conversation and how to explain it without sounding half-crazy. "I think she was summoned by Veronica and ran off, and found herself at the river. I don't think she speaks the same tongue as us." She hesitated, looking at Leanne to give her a chance to cut in if she wanted but she stayed quiet, but seemed less tense than earlier. She turned her attention back to Azura, and recounted meeting the skittish shapeshifter. "I wanted to bring her to meet Lilith. She was singing with me as a dragon so maybe she can talk to Lilith and feel safe sleeping there tonight and maybe meet the Askrians tomorrow." Corrin offered. She felt heavy at the thought of bringing her into this war, especially after she had fled the person who had summoned her into it. _Maybe I shouldn't bring her to Alfonse and the others._

"That sounds like a good idea." Azura's voice shook her attention and she nodded. There was a long pause, Corrin swallowing hard before being the one to speak.

"Walk with us?"

"I'd like that." Azura nodded. Together the three women crossed the camp. Leanne seemed to have a slight bounce to her step, humming a bit as they walked. Azura joined in, and Leanne seemed to glow as she started to hum a little louder. Corrin fell a step behind the two women, enjoying listening to their song.

Lilith was curled at the edge of her pond when they reached the site where her tent was pitched, Corrin suddenly wishing she had thought of fishing at the river to have a gift for her friend. She walked up to the sleeping dragon, who roused hearing her footsteps. She stretched in a very cat-like manner, her yawn trailing into a chirp before she curled her tail up against her chest and sat upright, her ears perking up when she saw who it was that woke her.

"Corrin! Always a lovely surprise!" She cheered. Her happiness felt infectious and Corrin smiled, extending her arms and hugging the little dragon. "What brings you here in the middle of the night? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I went for a walk and ran into someone I think you might be able to help." She half-turned and gestured at Leanne who stepped forward and gave Lilith a light bow.

"Oh, hello!" She greeted.

"Hello." Leanne smiled. Corrin once again explained how her late night walk ended, and tried to gesture for Leanne to come closer.

"You're very welcome to stay in my tent. There's a bed in there. I prefer to sleep here next to the water, so you aren't banishing me from my own bed." Lilith offered. Leanne worked her bottom lip, her brow coming together and after a few seconds shook her head. Lilith glanced over at Corrin.

"I don't think she speaks our language very good. But she likes music a lot." She explained. Lilith nodded, then turned her attention back to Leanne and chirped and purred in an oddly melodic way, and Corrin wondered if she had ever heard her sing in her dragon form. A memory came to mind of being sick in bed, Lilith coming to her room and singing as she tidied her room for her. Her chest ached, her body feeling incredibly heavy once more and hoped that being pulled to this world would spare Lilith the fate she had suffered from her world.

But then Leanne started to sing back, turning back into a heron after a few notes and settled herself in the water of Lilith's small pond. The dragon and heron started to sing together and Corrin bit her bottom lip and felt a small smile tug at her lips.

"You know where our tent is, please come get me if either of you need anything." Corrin offered once there was a pause in their song.

"It's very late, you need sleep. I bet Azura will be coming to me first thing in the morning for help waking you up, slug-a-bed." Heat once again flared across Corrin's face, Lilith chirping and Azura was giggling behind her.

"Quite likely." The songstress agreed.

"I'm not _that_ bad!" Corrin objected.

"Oh, love, you most certainly are." Azura giggled, pressing her fingers to her mouth to unsuccessfully suppress her laughter. Corrin pouted, and Azura reached out a hand, "You cannot argue that sleep though is wise." Corrin took her extended hand, heat burning in her cheeks and she avoided both Azura and Lilith's gazes, and curled her fingers around Azura's and followed her tug. Leanne and Lilith both chirped and sang more goodbyes when they turned to return to their own tent.

Once back, Corrin felt the heaviness return once more. She took in a deep breath and tried to let it out slowly while Azura entered the tent before her. The bedrolls were still placed next to each other and Azura had taken her spot atop one of them, Corrin sitting down beside her.

"I'm sorry I worried you." Corrin started. "Had a nightmare and needed to walk."

"I… I hope you do not feel that I'm pressuring you." Azura blurted. Corrin looked up and was surprised to see that Azura was smoothing out her dress, rubbing the fabric between her thumb and forefinger.

"What? No! Umm really, I had a nightmare. I never sleep good after them…" Corrin replied, speaking too quickly and cleared her voice.

"You're wearing her pendant." Azura remarked. "I have no trinket of hers." She added after a few moments of silence, her brow coming together and lines appearing around her nose.

"I…" Corrin started, and stopped. She hooked her thumbs around the chain around her neck and slid the pendant out, pulling it up and over her head, staring at it in the palm of her hand.

"I loved her. I love _you_." Azura whispered. She took a deep breath, breath shuddering as she released a long sigh. Silence hung between them, Corrin balling and releasing her fists to tug at her black leggings. She looked up when Azura sighed and started speaking again "Were I the one who died, and she the one who lived and held your heart… I would want you to be happy. I would _be_ happy knowing that you found love." Azura's voice cracked and her lip thinned as she stared down at her own hands.

"I… I love you," Corrin answered, mulling over those words. Her ever selfless Azura, always wanting those around her to find joy. She thought about a reverse situation, and knew she felt the same. She would want Azura, _her_ Azura, or the woman sitting next to her, to find happiness. Azura's hand reached out to grab Corrin's, their fingers lacing together. Their walk had left her hand cold and the joke died in the back of her throat before it finished forming. She gripped her hard, and felt Azura do the same.

"I know it's weird… but maybe this is the gods giving us a chance they stole from us." Azura suggested. Corrin thought again of Azura fading away in her arms. Of knowing that she had loved her too, that neither dared to voice it when they had the chance. Of the hilltop confession that set her heart alight. Of collapsing into her embrace that night and caving to long suppressed desires.

"I'm not betraying her?" Corrin asked, her own voice cracking. The hand gripping her leggings tightened, aching her hand and she felt Azura give her hand a squeeze, causing her to look up at her.

"If her and I are truly the same soul from different worlds, I promise you Corrin, that she would be happy for you." The mounting ache in Corrin's throat broke with a sob, and her breath hitched. Azura let go of her hand to wrap her arms around her and pull her close, and Corrin threw her arms around her, gripping the back of her dress and burying her face against her shoulder and wept. _But she died. I never told her. She never got to feel happy knowing her feelings were returned._ She thought, unable to bring them to voice.

"I _love _you." She croaked. Azura drew back slightly, and brushed her thumb over Corrin's cheek to dry her tears. She leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek, her lips lingering for a few moments.

"I feel the same. I know your Corrin would want you to be happy because I want you to be happy. I'd want _her_ to be happy." She stumbled through her words, hesitating and stuttering as she struggled with the right pronouns again struck by the oddity of her situation.

"Then let's honor their memories and allow ourselves to be happy." Azura rested her hand against Corrin's cheek, and she tilted her head against the touch. She nuzzled Azura's palm, bringing her own hand up to press against the back of hers and hold her hand in place. Azura leaned in to dare a simple kiss, Corrin leaning into it. Their lips lingered, Corrin responding with a deeper kiss before she drew back. "Perhaps now you might fight a peaceful sleep?"

"I hope so… I wasn't lying about the nightmare." Corrin replied, feeling a chill run down her back and the hair on her arm stand on end when she remembered feeling her body _pop_.

"I'll hold you to make sure." Azura kissed her again, lingering, sighing.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Fjorm woke, noting the inside of the tent was still dark. She had always been a light sleeper, and with slight irritation tried to identify which of the sounds around her had woken her up. She reached over to the lamp and turned the small knob, the flint wheel requiring several clicks before the oil soaked wick took flame. It gave out a minimal light but it was enough for her eyes in the pre-dawn hours.

She could smell the soiled bandage around her arm and curled her nose, debating pouring wine over it to quelch the pain, but was worried about causing any harm. She knew little about healing, and wanted to place her trust in Alfonse. Her stomach rumbled, and she was glad for the bits of food leftover on her bedside. A few mouthfuls of bread and cheese, enough to slake her hunger until a proper meal could be had.

The meeting she had been brought to had left her unsettled. They spoke of it with such an air of casualness that she wondered just how long their war had been carrying on. Surtur had sprung upon her home nation so suddenly that she would not consider herself familiar. The first attacks razed cities to the ground, and within the month she was forced to flee the capital.

She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, whimpering as the memories flooded back and the pain in her arm flared with new intensity, feeling fresh; she could feel the heat of the flames and the screams of the castle servants. She wondered if the rest of her siblings escaped or were burned to ash. Her throat caught and broke into a sob, and she pressed her fists harder against her face. She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream until her throat was raw, until her lungs ran out of breath; to cry until dried up. She remembered her older sister screaming at her to run, telling her she would ensure their youngest sister would escape the castle.

She looked at her lamp and extinguished it immediately, breathing far too quickly until she saw that flame vanish. The room disappeared into darkness again, and she looked around for flickers of yellow and orange, of stone heated red-hot or metal glowing white. But it was only blackness that surrounded her, the occasion dark shapes outlining the furniture.

Fjorm got up, needing to do something with herself. The pain in her arm was growing more intense and she decided that she would go find Alfonse. Certainly he wouldn't argue with being woken a touch early to help her tend to her wounds? She got up, then sat back down, feeling as though it would be rude to wake him. He was due to leave on an intense mission later that day. He needed his sleep. She stood again, debating a walk, but the wobble in her knees had her sitting back down. The room felt too small, the air too hot.

She got up again, finding her lance against the wall where it had been for several days. _I wonder why he never took it to an armory?_ She mused for a moment. But she grabbed it with her good arm, using it as a support. Feeling less unsteady she left the tent, the outside air felt almost as good as diving into the river in the depth of summer. She gulped in the cooler wind, finding it easier to push images of fire from the backs of her eyes, the wind dulling the pain in her arm.

She glanced around the camp, and was surprised to see she was not the only person awake. She bit down on her lip, realizing a few campfires were lit, irregular specks of orange in a sea of black. _Breathe Fjorm_. She told herself. She tried to remember where the head tent was. Was it behind the tent she was healing in or a bit more to the right? She tried to get her bearings, and finally saw a familiar sight. Some fires to the north had light reflecting off stone pillars that led to where Alfonse had told her they summoned heroes to help with their cause. She again found herself wondering how long the war had endured if they were forced to pull people from various worlds to supplement their numbers, that they had run out of men in their own country.

She followed the narrow path between tents, fear rising once again as she passed by campfires and quickened her pace. There was an abrupt end to the tents and a few dozen meters further ahead was the central tent, which was almost a cabin in some ways, where she knew Alfonse was sleeping.

Now looking at the tent she felt foolish. He was the leader of an army trying to catch what little sleep was possible prior to another mission. The idea of the enemy building a bridge to try and sneak up to them was concerning. An overturned log that had been sawn in half served as a bench before a spent campfire and a cast iron pot hovering over it. She was certain if she put her hand onto the metal it would still feel warm, and had a sudden craving for a rich stew from her homeland made of rabbits and root vegetables in a cream broth.

She sat on the log, and wondered if they would sit here and tell stories taking turns poking at whatever was in that cookpot. It was something she had seen people do but never herself. The kitchen in her castle was always so full of people making various foods. She was certain she wouldn't be able to even make an edible oat porridge if she tried. _Yet these Princes and Princesses are leading a war._

Dawn came within the hour, and she passed time watching the camp wake up. Noise started filling the air and as the wind blew she caught scents of wood and cooking food. Anxiety started to ebb and she once again felt foolish for fleeing the comfort of her tent to come wake the Prince. While she knew he likely slept in comfortable garb, she couldn't help the amusing mental image of him sleeping in that absurd uniform with its large gold flourish.

She looked down at her own clothing, and wondered when she last changed. They weren't her usual dress, and her memory was spotty since her flight from home. But had she been sleeping in this dress for days? In a rather un-ladylike manner she lifted her arm to give herself a sniff and wasn't very proud of herself. How had Alfonse endured her company like this? She thought about walking to the river and washing herself in it like the common folk. As now, she was no better than they. Highborn or no she slept in a tent and was as much a victim of war as they. Before she could move back to her tent or visit the river, she heard fabric shifting and saw the now familiar head of dark blue hair poking out of his tent.

"Fjorm?" Alfonse asked, his voice low with remaining sleep.

"G...good morning," she greeted him, hoping her embarrassment wasn't showing on her face. "I'm sorry, I woke up a bit early and thought I could try and catch you before you left on that mission."

"Well, I am caught indeed," he said, his smile easing any worry his words could awaken in her mind. Then he frowned, as though realizing why she could have woken up so early. "How is your arm?"

He took a step forward, dressed in his usual white pants and a dark blue shirt which she'd only guessed from his collar so far, his sword at his side, but his golden armor and boots not on yet. He looked quite regal, and Fjorm couldn't help noticing how defined his bare arms were. Her own arm stung beneath her bandages.

"I… I've been a bad guest…"

"What? If you need help, I'm more than happy to help."

How could she explain that it wasn't just the physical pain eating away at her. She was going to miss him. The easy talks, the budding sense of being safe.

"How about company?" she mustered.

Alfonse gave a nod and sat himself next to her on the bench, giving her a subtle once-over, if only to ascertain her body language wasn't showing discomfort.

"Would you like some breakfast?" he offered.

"Certainly."

As she'd guessed, the pot above the campfire was still warm, Alfonse sighing.

"The cooks are always making sure I get warm stew first thing as I get up."

"That's thoughtful."

"That's also more than I ask of them." He bent forward to gather bowls from a small box sitting under the bench and offered her one, before to revise his idea and set it between them.

"I can use both of my hands," Fjorm noted.

"No need to push yourself if it's unnecessary."

He filled up her bowl and then his, offering to bring out a table if it could make eating more comfortable.

"Oh no, it's fine."

There were more people getting up, but none of them were walking up to them to ask anything of Alfonse and she was glad for this quiet moment with him. For a man who commanded an army into battle, he was so very peaceful. The stew turned out not only very warm but also filling, with potatoes, squash and beef that nearly melted on her tongue.

"This is delicious," she said softly.

"Glad you're enjoying it." After a short pause spent looking at her from the corner of his eye, Alphonse managed a question. "Did you wait sitting here for long?"

"I… The sun was not quite out yet, but…"

His eyes widened.

"Fjorm, if you need help, you can…" His breath cut short as he wondered how improper it would be taken, for a princess to waltz into his tent. He was just so used to Sharena barging in on him all the time, and he didn't want Fjorm to feel isolated. He'd watched her sleep now and again, mostly when he was hoping for her to wake up to share a meal, and whenever she had a nightmare, it brought back all the protectiveness in him.

"I think the fact there was nowhere I could knock defeated my purpose," she admitted, blushing slightly. "The burns started hurting again and I thought… Since you'll be gone for a little while…"

She was fidgeting with both hands, the spoon in her now empty bowl clicking as it moved around a bit.

"Of course. Don't be embarrassed for asking. I like to help. Should we go back to your tent?"

They both felt awkward in a sense, but she agreed, Alfonse helping her back to her feet and following her to the tent, not quite aware of the eyes following their progression across the edge of the camp. In the back of his mind, he made a note to relocate Fjorm's tent closer if she decided to stay with them for a longer time. He was shocked to surmise that after such a short amount of time, he already wanted her to stay.

_It's not like I can let her run back to her kidnappers and her kingdom was attacked… _he tried to convince himself it was all noble intention.

But offering her his arm for support and getting a shy "no" stung. Why did it even sting?

Back in her tent, they left the door-panel open to have some natural light, Alfonse helping her out of the bandage. He offered to teach her what little he'd been told by the healer, in case she wanted to do this herself while he was gone.

"I hope you're not afraid to visit the healers…"

"I am not."

She had more to say, but kept her mouth shut, unsure she should open herself up by mentioning how familiar he felt and how more comfortable she was around him. He was leaving to fight another battle in his war, she couldn't be that attached or dependent on him, especially now.

"Okay then."

He carefully washed her wound, holding back on apologies when she winced, and set the new bangade as efficiently as he could. In a few days, he'd become quite good at it.

"Does it sound bad if I thank you for giving me an opportunity to learn better first care skills?"

She laughed at the sheepish look he gave her, shaking her head softly to avoid pulling on the burned skin of her side. Her eyes were aching again, and her throat felt tight. A laugh and suddenly it was all coming back, as though the tent had soaked into the nightmares of her home burning. Alfonse sensed her stifling next to him and noticed how tightly her shoulders were held now.

"Is that too tight?" he asked, ready to apologize.

"No. No, it's…"

She pressed her hands against her face, Alfonse dropping both arms by his sides so he wouldn't hold her back from doing what she needed to feel better.

"Nightmares?"

Her head shook again.

"I can't seem to forget," she managed, biting back on a sob.

His arms reached for her, Fjorm flinching back. Was this what she needed? Was this what Sutr and his men had reduced her to? Was she unable to hold her head steady for more than a few days and…?

"There's no way I can leave if you're in such a state." Alfonse whispered to her, his arms held open.

"I… I smell," she said, feeling herself flushing as she realized which one of the many ideas on her mind she'd picked to tell out loud.

"And? I'm going to smell as soon as I put my armor on," he shot back, earning himself another weak chuckle.

Did he want to hear her laughing fully? It was most certainly one of the sweetest sounds he might hear. The idea was blossoming in his chest, like a thundering need. He had to leave even if she was not smiling, he couldn't stay behind when he was letting his own sister take risks.

"I'm okay though," Fjorm insisted.

She wasn't sure why. There was no fever to justify the need to be cuddled. And yet, a part of her longed for his gentle embrace. She remembered the ride on his horse, how he held her in front of her, how uncomfortable it was to bump into each other and yet…

A rooster called, making them both jump. Alfonse's face fell as he realized what time it had to be.

"Seems I should go get ready," he said, his arms falling back limply. "If you need anything while I'm away, you can ask Anna, or Dorcas, I swear, he's the gentlest soul…"

Fjorm felt bad seeing how worried he was about her, so she stepped back up and wrapped her good arm around her, a fleeting embrace that left him blinking at her as she blinked away any trace of her treacherous tears. They hadn't fallen and she wouldn't let them.

"To wish you luck out there," she whispered, her eyes somehow holding his. "Two can play the worry game."

"I… Thanks. I mean…"

How was "thanks" the right way to confer the happy butterflies that had suddenly surged deep inside him?

"Have I taken away your ability to speak, my prince?"

The flush that had started on his ears spread out, Alfonse biting his tongue in the hope that would help him regain his senses.

"Worry about healing first," he managed, finding his words but not his sense of propriety. "We have yet to enjoy a proper walk."

"I shall hold you to that," she replied, smiling almost fully now.

Their eyes held each other for longer than the hug ever could, Alfonse nearly walking into the tent's fabric as he tried to exit without looking away from her.

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Alfonse left with his troops, the ground shaking under their hooves and feet. The smaller team had prepared among them, the Askrian siblings always uneasy when they left on different missions, despite doing their best to look strong in front of their soldiers.

Lyn's mount was eager to leap into a gallop, stomping in impatience. "Everyone ready?" Lyn called out.

They were all mounted on horses, Sharena sharing her mount with a bright-pink haired woman, the lady actually holding the reins. Corrin, Azura and Leo had briefly been introduced to each of their comrades for this mission.

"I can't believe the professor wouldn't even wish me good luck. It's so weird that she's around but refuses to join us. I mean, _I_ am working!" Hilda sighed.

Corrin and Azura's horse was right next to the pair of noble ladies.

"It's not everyone who can take easily to being summoned to a strange new world."

"That woman is the most unphased person I know," Hilda shot back.

"I asked if we were all ready?" Lyn called again, shooting Hilda a glare.

"We are!" Sharena called back.

Leo had his own horse, a nervous mare he'd brought under control so quickly, the gloomy prince had actually gained Lyn's respect. Raven was equally gloomy, although resolute. They needed to travel fast, and the sun was merely rising in the sky as they set forward. Leanne had been saddened to see her new friend leaving so soon, but Corrin had refused to have her tagging along. She was still traumatized by Veronica's army and so sensitive to emotions. For now, the heron princess stayed with Lilith.

They rode with only a few breaks, sharing bread, dried fruits and hard cheese to keep their strength. The ride was uneventful, allowing them to enjoy quiet conversations as they trotted over miles and miles.

"So you come from Fodlan? And Raven and Lyn are from Elibe, and Leanne is from Tellius… Just how many different worlds are there?"

"Thirteen," Sharena supplied. "And those thirteen worlds each have an infinity of reflections, spreading over time and... I want to say space, but I doubt this is the right word. I wonder if our world also nehave his own reflections. There might be over a hundred other Sharena and Alfonse out there, fighting their own Veronica."

"A hundred of you doesn't sound like something I could handle," Hilda teased her, Sharena's ears blushing as she knocked her forehead against Hilda's pink hair, both ladies groaning. "Did you headbutt me?"

"NO, I just lost the rhythm. I'm not a great rider, I warned you," Sharena instantly turned defensive, although she was smiling and holding onto Hilda's waist a little tighter.

Azura gave Corrin's thigh a squeeze to catch her attention. It sure felt like those two were flirting, and since they were both female, she hoped the knowledge Corrin and herself were not some sort of _anomaly _would make her feel better. The Hoshidan princess looked forward, letting go of the reins with one hand to press her palm against the back of Azura's hand. That simple gesture was enough to lift Azura's heart in her chest and completely miss the next words Hilda and Sharena exchanged. Ahead of them, Lyn suggested to go back to galloping and it was too chaotic for talking once more. By the end of the day, they were all quite sore, Raven and Leo insisting on doing the hunting for dinner, barely avoiding the jokes Hilda and Lyn made about jingling ballsacks.

They set up camp, Sharena pointing to where the tents should go and who should take first watch. Corrin was relieved when she wasn't assigned, exhausted from nightmare filled nights keeping her from getting more than a few hours at a time. Raven and Lyn were went off to find firewood, Hilda sitting on her pack next to Sharena. Corrin felt too tired to argue about being directed to clear some of the detritus around a fire spot and the areas in front of tents. If anything, it gave her something to do other than think.

Raven and Lyn returned with adequate firewood to get them through dinner, and hopefully the evening chill before they all settled down for the night. They threw some salted fish and root vegetables into a cooking pot with water to make a thin soup, which everyone thickened with their ration of hardtack and bite of cheese, making something more akin to a palatable stew.

Night passed by with stories, the small crew staying up deeper into the night than was wise. Azura told one of her famous ghost stories her siblings had told her about, Raven trying to top hers but the group unanimously decided that Azura was the champion of ghost stories, lamenting the lack of children in the camp to properly terrify.

Morning arrived far too early for everyone. Raven was the first one up and made sure he wasn't the only one awake for very long. The sun was less than a full hand above the horizon when everyone was awake and camp packed, breakfast nothing more than more cheese and hardtack soaked in coffee, eaten as they walked.

Raven and Lyn led the way with Corrin and Azura behind, Leo just behind them, and Sharena and Hilda pulling up as rear guard. Corrin spent much of the ride wondering what to say to Leo, her brother's steadfast silence growing more uncomfortable by the hour. But the tension between herself and Azura the last time they were in these woods was gone, replaced with a familiar comfort and they talked until Raven stopped the group, holding up a fist.

"What is it?" Sharena asked, directing her horse around the others so she could see what lay ahead.

"Just over that hill is the bridge, you'll see a steep incline down to the river." Raven explained.

"Tie the horses." Sharena ordered. Everyone hopped down from their horses, tying them to low hanging branches to keep them from wandering off. Azura was asked to stay with the horses while the others went on ahead.

They crested the hill slowly, lying down once they could see down below. Across from the river was the bridge and cabin where Corrin had captured her brother.

"Shit." Raven cursed under his breath. There were a half dozen men on the bridge, two overseeing their work, and likely more men inside the cabin with a now-replaced door.

"They must have thought something was wrong when I didn't report back to Veronica's camp." Leo offered. "Let me try talking to them, maybe I can smooth this over."

"I'm not sure about that." Sharena replied. "I think we should stick to Al's original plan."

"I know a few of those faces so they'll know mine. They'll remember skulking off isn't extremely unusual for me. I can say I saw some activity in the woods and went to investigate, got lost like the noble I am, get their guard down by giving them a chance to make fun of a former Prince." Leo explained.

"You sure Leo?" Corrin asked.

"You trust me?" He asked back.

"Of course I do." She replied, and then nodded, understanding his real question. "Give him a chance." Corrin said, looking at Sharena. She seemed to hesitate, exchanging a glance with Hilda, and looking over at Raven for argument, but he posed none. She gave him a nod and gestured with her hand. Leo got to his feet, and started making his way down the hall, walking sideways to keep his balance. He noticed the upturned shrubs and damaged trees from Corrin's last trip up and down this hill, feeling less confident about his plan. He looked down at the bridge again and saw his advance was being noticed. He raised a hand, waving to them.

"Hey!" He called. Three of the six on the bridge waved back. From on the hill the others watched him stumble the last meter of the hill and waved to them again. They couldn't hear from this distance, but the stiff way the six were approaching Leo had Corrin's hair standing on end.

"This was a mistake." She said, looking over at Sharena. She wished Azura was beside her to reassure her that she hadn't just sent her brother into danger, and she could see the same concern reflected in Sharena's face. She turned her attention again and saw the others come up to Leo. He was always so stiff it was difficult to tell if he had his usual stick up his ass, or something was wrong. She was drumming her fingers on the soil. At once two of the men grabbed leo and pinned him to the ground, a third kneeling on his back. Voices were loud, barking various words. Her companions cursed around her, and she leapt to her feet.

"Corrin! Wait!" Sharena shouted, her order falling on deaf ears. Corrin shifted, tripping down the hill as her limbs grew and changed, tumbling over herself as her center of gravity changed. But she was quick to right herself once she finished her tumble, letting out a great roar that startled the men enough for Leo to free an arm. He turned his elbow, catching the second man in the neck and with both arms free turned onto his back and started to draw backwards, hand going to his hip to pull out his sword.

The six men set upon Corrin, the two who had been overseeing their work charging across the bridge to join them, their shouts catching the attention of the men inside the cabin. She lowered her head, letting out the greatest roar she could muster, rearing onto her hindlegs. The first man drew a sword and held it up, but Corrin dropped her full weight on him. She felt his ribs collapse beneath her claws and he wheezed out a pathetic sound, slapping at her claws. The other man started to back away from her, holding his sword out in front of him, stammering threats. She looked at him, realizing he was a boy of no more than thirteen. His voice was coarse and he was coughing from taking Leo's elbow to the neck. She lunged, grabbing him in her mouth, careful not to crush him, and threw him at the river.

A third man took a swing at her and she swiveled her body weight to throw most of her weight into her tail, knocking him back. She tried to catch herself, and felt sudden heat in her left thigh. She roared, turning to see the fourth man finishing his swing, blood spraying across the grass. The fifth and sixth men were running at her as well, bellowing in response to her dragon's roar. The two observers stood at the far end of the bridge. She tried to bite at the man with the sword and felt a flash of heat against her neck and backed away, recognizing the _zip_ of an arrow.

_Shit._ Everything about this plan was falling apart. They should have come with twice as many people and _listened_ to Alfonse's original plan. Another _zip_ of a missed arrow, and she hoped the pathetic archer would stay panicked and continue to miss or she'd be in even more trouble.

"Corrin!" Leo called over to her. He rushed to her side, lifting his blade in time to deflect the swordsman. Corrin backed away, the first injured man lying on the ground, still alive, though she wasn't sure for how much longer. Another missed arrow. She reared up again to slam one of the men into the ground like the first, and felt a sudden intense impact in her side. She staggered, a low rumble in her throat and she swung her head, her antlers gorging the man with the hammer, who had thrown himself off balance with the followthrough to his blow.

There was more shouting, but this time from behind her. Corrin tried to keep her focus on the two remaining men, Leo having dispatched one of the swordsmen. Another _zip_ of an arrow, but this one found its mark, buried into the chest of the archer. Raven rushed past her with his axe, nearly decapitating one of the men. The scene dissolved into chaos, Corrin having difficulty keeping track. The men who had run from the inside of the cabin ran back inside, Hilda finished off the man with a hammer, Sharena taking out the second overseer who had been with the archer. Corrin tried to take stock of what was left. The teenager she had thrown into the water, and the men inside the cabin. But being a dragon for so long was wearing on her, and she felt a hard weight.

She shifted back into human form, and all at once her head felt too light and her vision caved in as she collapsed into the grass soaked with her own blood.

Leo sheathed his sword, dropping to his knees beside her.

"Corrin!" He shouted her name, rubbing his knuckles against the center of her chest like he had learned to wake the slug-a-bed. But she didn't stir.

"Lyn, Raven, Hilda, go after the men in the cabin." Sharena pointed. She knelt beside Corrin and across from Leo, trying to assess how bad the situation was. She was fully armored, but the plating on her thigh had been severed and blood was oozing through the gaps. There was a shallow nick in her neck, a half centimeter saved her life.

"She got hit with the hammer too. Why didn't you come right away when she went all psycho-dragon?!" He shouted at Sharena.

"She'd a three-meter dragon!" She shouted back.

"So you were willing to risk my sister's life over _ooh dragons are big! _Let her do all the work!" He shouted back.

"She surprised us! I needed a moment to get my thoughts together!"

"That's why Corrin is a hundred times the tactician you are! You can't think on the fly!" He looked up at the cabin, his mouth pressed tight together. "This whole mission has gone sideways! They'll notice when a dozen men don't come back!"

"We weren't expecting this many at the bridge!"

"Go back to my earlier point." He snapped. "We need to get her back."

"Do you need help to-"

"I don't need your help." He interrupted. He hoisted Corrin over his shoulder, grunting as he tried to settle her weight in a way that he could feasibly carry her. "Set the bridge on fire or something. Your plan to use the dragon to do all your work for you is moot now." He crossed the bridge back towards the hill, looking up it with a frown. "This… might be undignified Corrin… I'm sorry." He apologized. The ground had dried since the time Corrin tried to bring him up the then muddy hill, but the soil was dry enough that he could get his foot, using rocks and roots to keep himself from sliding back. He nearly climbed the hill on his hands and knees with Corrin over his back to keep from sliding. "Azura?" He called as he reached the crest of the hill and the limit of his endurance. He started to slide, and tried to shift her on his back to keep from dropping her. He called for the songstress again, and she appeared from behind a tree.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, and then her eyes took in the situation. "What happened?!" She asked, her voice pitched up. She got beside Leo, helping him get Corrin off his shoulders without dropping her to the ground. "What happened?" She asked, her voice quivering. Her hands trembled as she brushed her thumb across the shallow cut in Corrin's neck, and started to fumble with the leg plates of her armor when she saw the blood. "Is she-"  
"Okay I think." Leo interrupted. Azura dropping her composure unnerved him.

"What happened?" Leo explained everything that happened since they crested the hill, Azura balling her fists as she listened. She tightened her jaw, and nodded, eyes down on Corrin. She brushed damp hair away from her forehead, starting to sing a gentle lullaby, unsure what else to do. Leo helped her get the leg plate off her leg, and as they started to pull at the cut fabric of her pants as the rest of their retinue crested the hill.

"How is she?" Sharena asked. Leo ignored her, instead dropping his jacket to pull his shirt off over his head and press it against the woud in Corrin's leg. Azura looked up, and saw that Corrin was not the only injured one in their party. New bruises were darkening across Raven's face, Hilda had an arm wrapped around her chest, supported on one side by Sharena.

"You guys okay?" Leo asked. Sharena frowned, but nodded. The others doing the same, Hilda giving a thumbs up,

"Pretty sure broken ribs are in fashion right now."

"We should make camp so the injured can rest up." Sharena suggested.

"We need to get further away from the bridge." Raven answered. Leo turned back to Corrin,

"You'll have plenty of time to rest up." He told her. He asked Azura to get his horse. She nodded, coming back to the group with the horse, helping Leo lift her and drape her over the horse's back. They walked down the hill where the other animals were still tethered. Sharena helped Hilda onto her horse, Leo insisting that Azura could ride her horse he would guide the one carrying Corrin. Their pace was slowed by their injured, but they traveled far enough that they all felt comfortable trying to set up camp.

Azura sat with Corrin's head in her lap, stroking her hair and rubbing the tip of her ear, starting to quietly sing to her again while Leo set up a tent for them, insisting that he didn't mind pitching theirs before his own.

"_Sleep now, the cold is gone, you're safe warm, my darling. Dream of warmth, of soup, of fire. The storm is gone, your safe my darling." _Azura sang. Leo sat down next to her to listen, but she cut herself off.

"You… you can keep singing." He said. "That song is familiar." Azura hesitated, but resumed her song. It was familiar, but Leo could not remember why. But he enjoyed hearing it, and felt some of his anger ebbing. "She stir at all?"

"No." Azura shook her head, brushing her fingers over Corrin's forehead again. "Was she struck in the head?"

"No, though they did seem to hit her pretty hard in dragon form. Maybe it didn't catch up to her until after she changed back. Or just got too tired… you know how her dragon form exhausts her." He replied, looking down between his knees. "Or I assume…"

"She always was quite exhausted after a battle that required her dragon form…" She responded, old memories coming to surface. She tilted her head, running her thumb over the scar on her cheek, thumbing the hole in her earlobe, scars from a battle fought across different worlds. "Help me get her into the tent and out of the cold?" She asked.

"Of course." Leo helped to pick up Corrin, hunching over to duck into the tent. The others seemed to be avoiding him, and by extension Azura. The other tents had been finished, Raven had a fire going and Lyn fast at work gutting and skinning a rabbit she had the great fortune of catching in a snare.

Inside the tent was cramped. It was comfortable enough for one person, or two if they didn't mind being close together. But three was nearly impossible. But Azura had Corrin in her lap, leaving just enough room for Leo to stay a few moments longer, too anxious to leave his sister alone with someone he still considered partially a stranger.

Leo sat in silence, listening to Azura's quiet song. He saw the tears that rolled down her cheeks, but wasn't sure what to say. Raven came to the tent to tell them stew was ready, and tasted a hell of a lot better with fresh rabbit than salted fish. Leo accepted three bowls, setting them down. He tried to pick at his, finding that calming his stomach was no easy task.

"Corrin?" Azura asked, and jerked his attention.

"She waking up?" He asked. Corrin mumbled slightly and shifted her head. "Hey slug-a-bed?" She mumbled a bit, blinking her eyes and staring up with groggy eyes, an all-too-familiar expression that brought a half smile to his face, and memories of threatening to dump snow on her head to get her out of bed.

"Love?" Azura asked.

"Mmm… tired…" Corrin mumbled. Azura smiled, sniffling and pressing the back of her hand to her nose.

"I'm quite sure. But surely the temptation of food is enough to get you to wake?" Azura offered.

"It's not a sugar-sweet though." Leo observed.

"Quite true, dear Corrin always has had a sweet tooth."

"Too loud… lemme sleep." Corrin complained. Azura chuckled, wiping a stray tear and sniffling again.

"Oh love, just wake up for a bit. How do you feel?"

"I think I got in a fight with a bear?" She replied. "Or just a lot of people." She corrected herself. Her voice was becoming more clear and she started to blink harder, rubbing at her eyes.

"You gave me a fright."

"Are you crying?" Corrin asked, looking up at Azura's upside-down face.

"We were just worried about you." Leo answered.

"Everything hurts." She whined.

"You should eat something, regain your strength."

"You should also take a look at that leg." Leo suggested, nodding at her leg.

"Are… are you shirtless?" Corrin asked.

"I owed you one." Leo answered, only leaving Corrin even more confused. "I'll give you some privacy since." He paused, the words _you need to take your pants off to see that wound _got stuck and he was vividly reminded of the last uncomfortable night with them in these woods.

"Owe you one?"

"For saving my ass. Come on, you didn't get hit in the head." He tried to tease.

"You're my brother. I wasn't going to let you get captured…" She replied, the memories snapping into place. She started to sit up, but gasped and wrapped both arms around her chest and fell back against Azura's lap.

"What's wrong?"

"Chest." Corrin grunted. Azura frowned, bending down to press a kiss to her forehead. "I went to attack one guy and another one got me with a warhammer." She explained.

"When we get back I'm finding you the best bottle of mead these people have." Leo told her. "I should go check the fire." He grabbed his bowl of stew and ducked out of the tent before Corrin could muster a protest.  
"I wonder, perhaps, if I've said something to put him off." Azura remarked. _Or he's still uncomfortable around us._ She thought.

"I doubt that." Corrin answered, her voice sounding much more like her usual self.

"Then perhaps he simply doesn't like me." She replied, and winced at her own words.

"Nah, I doubt that. Leo is… well abrupt. But I doubt he doesn't like you. He'd be rude if he didn't."

"So this is him being polite?" She asked, and then thought about how he was talking to Sharena.

"Odd as it sounds… but even if he didn't like you, it doesn't matter. I love you enough to make up for a dozen grumpy other-brothers." Corrin replied, and gave Azurrin a wide grin, giving a flash of her abnormally long canines. Lines pulled at the corners of her eyes and a giggle bubbled in her throat, and Azura felt something within her snap. A tensed string she hadn't noticed finally, finally snapped. Her own throat felt tight, and a sob broke her voice.

"Oh love...I." She hesitated, her smile dropping, and her voice hiccuped. "I can't lose you again." Azura tried to say, her voice ragged and low. "He's right to be angry. Gods Corrin when they brought you back… I was just _left there_." _Useless, useless girl._ Guarding tethered horses, to see them bring Corrin back, bruised and bloodied on her brother's back.

"Hey… I'm a dragon! Would take more than just a few idiots to take me out. I mean, nine is kinda pushing my limits, but chug a vew vulnaries, let Sakura slap me in the head with her staff a few times to knock some sense into me, then drink that meade Leo promised, and I'll be right as rain!" Corrin cheered,but winced almost immediately, her voice dropping in volume as she struggled against the pain to find shallow breath and resist the urge to gulp for a deep breath of air. Azura frowned and started to stroke her cheeks, thumbs rubbing across the edge of her cheek and over her ears.

"Why did they even let it reach that point? Why was Leo the only one to stand beside you?" _Why didn't I forsake orders so I could stand beside you?_

"They thought a giant dragon was enough badassery to handle the situation?" Corrin suggested, her voice now much softer than before.

"Corrin please… do not be so reckless. I watched you fall in battle once!" Her fingers curled into fists, pushing them into her thighs. She reached out and her hand trembled as she ran her fingers across Corrin's forehead to brush at the hair already tucked behind her ear. She inhaled through her nose, letting it out slowly but her breath shuttered and she blinked hard to keep more tears from rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry… I just panicked when I saw my brother in danger. I should have given it a few more seconds." Corrin saw Azura's expression change, then relax back again.

"Oh please, do not apologize for your state. I shouldn't make you feel… why don't we tend to these wounds now that you're awake?" She asked.

"Is that code for something?" Corrin asked, attempting to give a suggestive wiggle of her brow but only succeeded in bobbing her brows and making Azura giggle, which Corrin supposed was an acceptable response.

"You're quite perplexing."

"The last time you bandaged me up we got a little… distracted." Corrin replied with a pout.

"I doubt you're in any shape for such things." Azura chided.

"Don't need to be able to dance around to flirt!" Corrin replied. Azura laughed again, Corrin responding with another toothy grin.

"That was flirting?" Azura asked.

"Oh right, I'm supposed to do something like those romance books…"

"You read romance books?"

"There wasn't much to do in that tower." Corrin answered, "Let's see… I don't seem to have any flowers stuffed into my many many pockets on this armor, and I_ know_ you don't want to hear me sing, I'd write you a love letter but I'm a bit short on quills." Corrin listed off, lifting her hands and tapping off her fingers. She winced, hissing a sharp inhale, pressing both hands around her ribs.

"Oh love…" Azura frowned. "Let me look at that." She asked. Corrin exhaled through her nose, eyes squinted shut. She let her head fall back against Azura's thighs and looked up at her.

"I could also recite that love letter, since I don't have parchment and quill."

"Perhaps you can share it with me aloud whilst I check your wounds?" Azura responded. Corrin gave a nod, and tried to take stock of herself. There was the intense pain in her ribs, and a heat in her leg accompanied by an odd dampness. She was vaguely aware of a slight sting in the side of her neck. Everything ached, a familiar discomfort that had been her companion for so many months during the war.

Azura reached over to the blanket atop her bedroll, balling it to slide it under Corrin's head as she withdrew her knees. The blanket felt cold compared to Azura's warmth, and she wanted to curl herself up against the other woman and sleep the week away. But now that Azura had voiced her fears, she needed to worry about another fear, namely how to ease the pain Corrin was currently going through. She helped Corrin out of her shirt, careful to not stroke her potentially bruised skin. She still needed to touch her to assert her state and heaved a concerned sigh.

"Broken ribs. Not much that we can do but let time do its work."

"My chest feels so tight…"

"Your wrap might be putting pressure on it."

Corrin felt herself flushing as Azura freed her breasts. It was easier to breathe like this, but she felt quite self-conscious with how weak she felt and covered her chest with one arm. Azura simply shook her head at her.

"Can't I have some motivation as I work as your nurse?"

"It sounds like you just want to get me naked."

"I would be quite pleased if it could happen in different circumstances, but I shall let you keep some of your underwear. These pants do need to go though."

Her playfulness shifted into apologies as Corrin winced from the shifting of fabric against her wound. The cut on her thigh was frayed on the edges and deep enough for worry. Corrin paled as she saw the look on Azura's face, gritting her teeth at the pressure of a clean cloth against the wound.

"Oh, I wish we had a healer with us. Can you lay on your side, and keep pressure on this? I'll have a vulnerary boiled up to disinfect this."

"Wait, don't leave me mostly naked in this tent!"

Azura hoped that the fact Corrin could get this embarrassed over being seen naked after it happening twice already meant the wound was not that bad. She covered her with a sheet, kissing her bare shoulder along the way.

"I want a real kiss," Corrin complained.

"I'll give you half a dozen once this wound is properly covered," the blue-haired princess promised.

Corrin did her best not to doze off as the throbbing in her sides and leg were making it hard to handle consciousness. She pressed on the reddening piece of cloth harder, gasping from the pain. Oh, kisses were going to be the only thing she could look forward to for a while if her entire body was going to hurt this much.

Azura was back soon enough, and alone, assuring Corrin her dignity was safe. The warm vulnerary spread on her raw flesh made her yell through the mouthful of the sheet she was biting on, Corrin squirming and Azura apologizing.

"It will be over soon. I just want to make the best I can in the circumstances."

They had little ressources with them, another oversight that convinced Azura to better prepare in the future. She cut the bed sheet she'd given Corrin into large strips, lifting her leg as gently as possible and wrapping up her thigh in at least five layers of cloth. The length of the wound made the bandage look a bit grotesque, but Azura finally declared herself satisfied. She kept Corrin's leg elevated with one of their travel bags, then tried to make her as comfortable as possible.

"I was promised half a dozen kisses." the dragon reminded her.

As Azura bent forward, her hair falling over Corrin, her lover frowned and shook her head. "I want to see your breasts too."

"Quite forward. I like that. You can ask me anything within reason, love."

Corrin blushed, feeling she was being childish, but her brain wanted the distraction and looking at Azura undoing the collar and ribbon of her dress and just rolling the white fabric down to her middle made her lower stomach clench with excitement. She didn't feel shame, she wanted the comfort of feeling her warmth, she wished she could actually move, but instead she watched attentively.

How those bare breasts bounced as Azura moved a little closer, her gloves still pulled up to her shoulders. Corrin blinked as her mind had her imagining what it would look like if Azura was to dance naked, with just the gloves and maybe the belt tied to her thigh. Her never-ending legs…

"Look up here," Azura teased her, twisting one of her breasts up to point at her face with its nipple.

"Anything within reason?" Corrin asked, her mind finally connecting the words that had been said earlier.

"I'll take a kiss first," Azura objected playfully, leaning forward to brush her lips against Corrin's, making sure to linger into slow and warm caresses.

"Touch me."

Azura kissed her collarbone since it was a safe spot, without bruise, holding herself just above Corrin while letting their chests brush. Corrin tried to arch herself up, the touch too fleeting, but her entire body protested, her whimper pure pain.

"Oh no, Corrin, you must be careful, I shouldn't even indulge you like this…"

"I just shouldn't move, but you can. It keeps me distracted."

Azura chuckled, both nervous and aroused despite herself. It seemed she had awakened an insatiable need within Corrin. She laid down on her side, wrapping one arm around the dragon. Corrin snuggled as close as she could without moving her thigh around, her free hand reaching for Azura's left breast. She palmed it fully, kneading her warm flesh as her thumb rolled her nipple over.

"Corrin…"

"I have so many things I wanna try out with you."

She pressed the nipple in, giving it a slow roll while maintaining the pressure, then a light flick up and down, her short nails carefully grazing the sensitive skin. The other breast was pressed tightly against her and Corrin was doing everything she could to stay rooted in place, despite the heat building in her core. Azura gently but firmly aligned her head with hers to kiss her while Corrin kept her near-obsessed ministrations going. Azura was panting harder than her in between their kisses, her hand travelling across Corrin's belly to slip past her panties and tease her mounds.

"If you tense up and hurt, I'll stop," she warned her, pressing her chest a little closer as Corrin stole her breath with a rougher kiss.

The beloved fingers dipped in her wetness, spreading it along her folds, Azura sighing as she felt Corrin running two fingers along their joined lips to gather some saliva and rush back to her now neglected breast. Pinches, pressing and a few twists had her aching and gasping, while her own hand grew bolder and bolder. She mimicked what Corrin was doing to her nipple to her clit, their lips even hungrier as they both rushed one another.

"Azura stop, it… My legs are shaking…" Corrin managed as the pain won over her lust.

"I'm so sorry…" she said, pulling her hand back, her fingers glistening.

Corrin caught her wrist, still panting.

"No I love it. I love you. Touch yourself for me?"

Azura blinked, finding herself even more aroused.

"You can mix us up inside you." Corrin added, not even blushing.

"Are you sure?"

Corrin nodded, her lips smacking together as she swallowed.

"We rest after that, though?"

"As long as you cum."

Azura's moan was deliciously warm, Corrin kissing her shoulder as the princess rolled on her back and removed the rest of her dress and undergarment. She left her stocking and gloves on, staring into Corrin's eyes as she reached down to herself.

"Want me to move so you can see or…?"

She sounded embarrassed and Corrin smiled.

"Shift closer so I can lay my head on your chest?"

They adjusted, Azura reaching for that space between her legs. Corrin's breath on her skin made her aware of the growing scent in the tent. They were both still breathing so hard. She was incredibly wet, her fingers still warm from Corrin, giving herself a tentative touch.

"Don't hold back. Tell me how you like it."

Azura whined in answer, her fingers curling a little as she started a pace.

"I… I start with my clit until it's..."

Corrin kissed the top of her breast, watching her moving wrist as though it was one of the most fascinating things she'd seen.

"That looks gentle compared to what you do to me," she teased her.

Azura quickened her pace, biting into her lower lip as the tingling spread, a lovely tension following in her lower stomach. She wanted to hunch over, but Corrin was watching, her voice encouraging her to be the boldest she could be.

"I want to hear you. How wet you are. How many fingers you want inside."

"Ah! One for…"

"More Azura. I can't reach, your hand's my hand."

Azura complied, gasping as she set her teeth, her head leaning back as the race towards her own pleasure overwhelmed her.

"I'm close, Corrin. I'm…"

Corrin nibbled on her skin in answer, relishing the jerk of her hips and the sighs she was letting out.

"Don't stop right away, stretch it out."

Azura moaned, not covering the wet sounds she was making, her body trembling as the first wave of bliss hit. Corrin encouraged her some more, fondling her breasts in turn, catching one nipple in her mouth. The fact she didn't scream at any point was a goddamn miracle, her hand sore when Corrin was satisfied with her own satisfaction.

"That was so hot."

"Gods… Now you owe me."

"I'll try to heal fast for you."

...

The next morning, Raven made rounds to wake his companions. Azura rubbed at her eyes and sat up, blinking away the last dregs of sleep and looked down at Corrin. She was fast asleep, but she was breathing quicker than she should and her face coated in cold sweat. She reached out and pressed her hand against her forehead, frowning at the heat she felt.

"Leo?" She called. There was some shuffling but she heard him approach.

"Safe to come in?" He asked.

"We're both dressed, yes. You may come in." She permitted, wincing at the question. He pushed the tent flap aside and worked around the minimal space in the tent to kneel down. "I'm concerned." Azura explained, _quite the understatement. _Leo was looking at Corrin, deep lines in his brow.

"How long as she been like this?" Leo asked, and reached out to press his own hand against her forehead. "Corrin, wake up." He shook her shoulder and she mumbled, blinking slowly.

"Morning already?" She asked.

"Sug-a-bed." He teased.

"Gods…" Corrin hissed a breath, both hands going to her leg and digging into the wet bandage.

"We should change that before we leave." Azura suggested, though had no idea where they were going to get more linen. They had been sent with minimal supplies to help them travel faster.

"We could use my shirt." Leo suggested. Azura then noted that he had entered the tent in only his jacket, and remembered him using it to staunch the bleeding after he carried her over the hill. She nodded, biting back the suggestion he be allowed to wear it until she gave it a moment of thought and shivered at the idea of having to wear a shirt soaked in the blood of a sibling.

Leo vanished momentarily and some dull conversation was heard between him and the others of their camp. It was several more minutes before he entered the tent again, a hot clay jar in one hand and the blood-covered clothing in the other.

"More hot vulnary." He explained to Corrin. "Now I know you're a picky eater-"

"I am not!"

"-but please drink the vulnary. We'll use the other half of it to soak the bandage for your leg." Leo continued as though he hadn't heard her. Corrin made a face at Azura when she snickered at Leo's comment and just shook her head at Corrin's denial. Leo poured an amount onto his shirt. He started to unwind the fabric strips Azura had wrapped around her thigh and deep lines appeared in his brow with how deeply stained with blood they were and how damp and sticky they were beneath his fingers.

Corrin drank with Azura's encouragement, finishing the half vulnary with a _blech_, the other half soaked the fabric that was to be wrapped around her leg. The wound was separated, Azura's efforts to rejoin its edges were in vain. It continued to ooze blood without the pressure of bandage, but the lack of pulsing of the bleeding mixed with Corrin's surviving the night told Leo that at the least an artery had not been severed. He would have taken this as encouragement she was going to be just fine, but he disliked what he was looking at. The bed of the wound was yellowed, the edges a swollen red that spread half a thumb's width from the wound edge. The smell was sickly sweet but mild, and he wished he had a healer's senses. He feared that by the time they reached the main camp the scent would be strong enough even those without a healer's training could tell that something was amiss.

The rest of the camp was mostly packed by the time he had his own shirt torn into strips and wrapped around Corrin's leg. It was difficult to tell where the edges of infection extended and what was simple staining of her skin, but it made no matter once it was bandaged up. He endured the occasional terrible flirty exchange between Corrin and Azura that had him wondering how the hell they could be so entangled after such cheesy behavior. The thought of them coupled together left a bitter taste at the back of his throat, having always dreamed that each of his siblings would find a proper match that could bear children and carry on the family name. But seeing how they cared for one another also left him feeling confused. His own parents seemed to lack the companionship they had, despite how ill it fit with his idea of a couple.

"There." He announced, if only to fill the dead air with sound and interrupt any more bad flirting between the two women that would make him feel even more uncomfortable. He managed to push away the intrusive thoughts recalling overhearing the pair, and convinced himself he had only been hearing Azura and not his own blood-sister that night.

The tears in Azura's eyes snapped his attention back around, the way she leaned over to kiss Corrin's forehead looked tender, and for a moment he forgot that he found such things _wrong_. His mother had been little more than a concubine to Garon, and such affection looked so odd it caught him off guard. His sisters would read books and sigh and flutter about, talking about the romantic entanglements in whatever novel they were reading at the time. Foreign concepts to him, which might be why he was so surprised to see how both women looked after one another. He certainly hoped Corrin would be fine and back on her feet quickly, but hope was nearly as foreign; he preferred facts and logic.

With Corrin tended to, most of the camp was packed up, Leo pulling up the tent for Azura while she helped Corrin onto a horse. Leo disliked how unsteady she looked upon the mare, but Azura reassured him that she would make sure Corrin didn't fall on the ride back. Leo had the tent and rolls fastened to the back of the horses's saddle just as the last of the fire's embers were stomped out. Hilda got onto her horse with Sharena's help and a lot of groaning, Leo gritting his teeth as he pulled himself onto his own ride, wondering again why the hell they lacked a healer or better supply of first aid. Lyn and Raven were already set, Raven eyeing the sky somberly.

"Do you think we'll get rain?" he asked Lyn.

"Please don't jinx us. Those clouds seem far and the wind isn't quite strong yet, but I'm not as good as Rath at predicting weather."

"Even if he knew, the damn man wouldn't speak," Raven groaned.

Sharena took a seat behind Hilda, her arms wrapping around her to hold the reins, the pink-haired woman leaning back into her despite the awkward positions of their arms. Leo sensed the same unease he felt when he watched Corrin and Azura standing too close to one another, frowning. Was this strange army somehow causing the women to get much closer than they did in his world? Then again, his sister had always been quite close with the dancer even back in his own world.

"Everyone set?" Sharena called.

They answered the affirmative, hooves beating at the ground as they set off. They kept their pace slow to make the travel easier on Corrin and Hilda, but they knew what they needed was a carriage and an actual road. None of them talked as they rode under the gray sky, Corrin and Hilda sometimes letting out a whimper of pain from all the had technically succeeded in their mission, but their hearts were heavy with the state their comrades were in.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

The following chapter focuses entirely on a pairing that snuck up on us, Sharena x Hilda. Cute fluff and yuri smut abound, like this whole fic might end up like at this rate. Feel free to skip if you prefer the other pairings, the next chapter should be out next week. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Sharena was exhausted after the long ride and deeply worried about Corrin. She needed a warm bath and her bed, and her cot of fur and thick blankets barely made up for it; and being alone tonight scared her. Alfonse had yet to get back from his own mission and while Anna was a good ear, the princess didn't need to talk. She freshened up quickly, forgetting about her meal as she ventured across the camp, wearing fresh clothes under her cape but no armor. She needed the lightness.

She checked on the medic tent, confirming that Hilda had gotten back to her own quarters. It took a lot of money from Askr's kingdom to furnish such a wide camp, but every warrior they'd recruited were allowed their own tent if they so desired. Hilda much preferred having her own place, even if it was simply a tent. Sharena called her name from outside the tent, hearing a "I'm decent!" before walking in.

"Oh, dear, you look like you've seen a ghost. Have you eaten anything yet?" Hilda asked her for a greeting, pushing herself up.

Her tent had been made taller than most, allowing people to stand up, being just a third smaller than Sharena and Alfonse's respective lodging. She had a twin bed on one side, even though the mattress was filled with straw, a small table with two chairs, a single bookshelf and a desk where she wrote her letters to her brother, even though they could never be sent. Hilda insisted that just writing the letters helped her deal with the shift of world, and she otherwise kept herself busy by putting together exquisite jewels that were the talk of the camp. Anyone who found rare stones, or shells could bring them to her to forge into delicate jewelery for a price. For someone who complained so much about having to work, she was quite the devoted artist when it came to her craft.

"I might have forgotten. I'm just worried. How are you doing?"

Hilda crossed to her table, gesturing for Sharena to sit down on a chair while she gathered cheese and more bread for her.

"I'm good, barely sore thanks to the mead I drank. I might have overdone it, but it helps my nerves. Do you want some wine with your food?"

"Hilda, let me fetch the food, you sit down, I don't have broken ribs like you do."

"Rena, sweetie, I can still move around."

Sharena shook her head at her, walking up to her to put her hands on both of her shoulders.

"Let me help. If it wasn't me, you would already be sitting down…"

"You believe I'm favoring you?"

Sharena blushed at the playful accusation, inching closer to the pink-haired lady.

"Are you saying I'm wrong?"

Hilda crinkled her nose as she pouted and tapped her chin in pretended thought. Then she winked at Sharena.

"I'm trying to be discreet like you want me to, but I favor you _a lot_. Can I keep my favorite princess here for the night? I might need help to stay comfortable in bed with those ribs."

Sharena chuckled, taking the hand Hilda was offering her. Their fingers linked in a gesture that was still unfamiliar to the Askrian.

"I was hoping you'd asked me that."

"There's that beautiful smile. No hiding it again, agreed?"

"I'll try, but only if you're good and resting instead of running all over the tent."

Hilda accepted, sitting herself down while Sharena collected everything that was needed for their meal, including the promised wine, serving them both generous cups.

"Trying to make me drunk?"

"Only if you allow me to join you in drunkenness."

Hilda feigned shock, covering her mouth with her hand as Sharena sat down with her. The blonde couldn't help noticing how stiff Hilda was in her seat.

"Should I ask to see your ribs? I could help you put a salve on the bruising," she offered.

"My ribs, my lady? How bold!"

"I mean…!"

"I know, Sharena," Hilda laughed, although she stopped herself as the pain reverberated through her ribcage. "Oh, stupid body. I don't think I want a salve, but I'll require your help to get changed and freshened up. I just sat down until you came in here, my mind didn't seem to work."

"Too tired?"

"I've been making a lot of effort for the past few days," Hilda insisted, giving the hand reaching for her across the table a reassuring pat. "I'm fine, I'll just be even better if I can avoid any riding for the next few weeks."

Sharena worried her lower lip and Hilda pinched her own mouth as she realized her attempt was not quite working at reassuring her partner.

"It's not your fault! I wish you'd accept that once in a while. You're as bad as your brother with the self-guilt thing!."

"But Leo is either throwing the blame on me or my brother, I can't just…"

"He's worried about his sister, he has no one else in camp he cares about as far as I can tell. It's perfectly understandable. But if he keeps being an ass, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. Don't let that jerk push you around. Corrin went along with his plan on her own. He should hit himself on the head."

"But-"

"No buts! I want quiet, food, wine, and relaxation tonight. For both of us. So eat up, so I can get my ass to bed. But if you want to tell me about any secret hot springs around I guess I could stay up a little longer."

Sharena hung her head a little, offering her a sheepish smile before nibbling at her food and realizing just how hungry she was. She wolfed down her plate, Hilda eating quite fast herself. The wine followed, three good sips down before Sharena wondered if they couldn't relocate right away.

"Which hurts less? Lying down instead or sitting?"

"Still trying to figure it out." Hilda admitted. "Help me up?"

Sharena obliged, offering her a shoulder to lean on as she walked her to her bed. Hilda sat on the edge, tapping her feet against the carpet without thinking, her heels clicking together. Sharena frowned.

"Why are you still wearing your boots?"

"Bending down to take them off still hurts…" Hilda sighed.

The previous night, Hilda had just gone to bed with all her clothes on her back, insisting she didn't want to get changed before their return to camp. Her boots were heavily laced, which meant a long time to put them back on in the morning, so Sharena had accepted those conditions. Now she wanted her lady catching actual rest and comfort.

"Let me do it for you," Sharena said, kneeling in front of her and almost instantly having to push her long hair to the side, briefly imagining pushing her hair out of her face for other reasons and bit her lip hard to keep her face straight and her mind on her task, hoping Hilda wouldn't notice.

"We should braid this nice mane a little more, what do you think?" She asked, to divert herself as much as anything.

Playing with each other's hair was one of their favorite things, but Sharena focused on trying to undo both laces. They were tight and tricky, caked with mud and unmentionables. Once the laces were tugged free she eased the boots off Hilda's legs, her hands barely lingering on her warm skin, resisting the urge to run her fingers across it.

"Oh, your feet smell!" she exclaimed suddenly, jerking away as the smell wafted out of the boots.

"Don't sniff them! I haven't changed in two days, of course I smell!"

The blush on Hilda's cheeks was adorable, as was her pout, and Sharena quickly reassured her.

"I've smelled worse and you do want my help to clean up, right? I'll get a basin."

Warm water would take too long right now, so they had to deal with cold, but at least with the luxury of soap. Hilda dipped her feet one after the other, barely stifling a painful laugh as Sharena quickly dried her feet and tickled her toes through the operation.

"What is next?"

"My bosom," Hilda teased her, her eyes catching the curiosity in Sharena's as she seriously considered her words. As they'd gotten closer and closer, they'd gone from holding hands to kissing, but everything was still quite new.

"Is it bad that I want to see them?"

"Why would it be bad silly? Sit up here with me, enough kneeling."

Sharena obeyed, eager but feeling skittish at the same time. Hilda put one hand on her thigh, the other finding her hand to give it a squeeze. Sharena leaned forward, inching herself closer, Hilda meeting her halfway for a soft kiss that reassured the less experienced of the two women.

"You'll have me strip you entirely before the end of the night, won't you?"

Hilda blinked at her, her face as pink as her hair.

"It doesn't _have_ to be naughty. I do need to get clean…"

Sharena nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. Pondering on everything the permission Hilda was giving her meant.

"You feel safe with me?"

"I wouldn't suggest it otherwise, sweetheart. Plus, this is the best plan to eventually blackmail _you_ into getting naked around me."

"Does sound pretty naughty."

"Maybe. Can you blame me?"

Hilda pulled at her collar, Sharena following for another kiss, deeper and a little wet, her body giving a delicious quiver deep inside in answer.

"Now, let's take off those clothes," the princess tried to sound determined despite her inner embarrassment. She untied the pink wrap that cinched Hilda's waist, apologizing at her first whimper, then gently rolled up the dark tank top she was wearing, pulling it over her head. Seeing the size of her bruises and their dark green tint had her cursing out loud. "Hilda, you must be in so much pain!"

"Hence all the alcohol right now?" Hilda tried with a shrug and a crooked half-smile.

Sharena shook her head at her, giving her shoulder a kiss before wrapping her in another good look. Hilda tried to reach in her back to undo her chest wrap, looking for a way to distract them both. Seeing her own bruises reminded her of similar wounds she'd collected in the far of Fodlan. Of the wounds her brother had sustained in his last letter to her, before she could even hear any more from him. But stretching that far was too much for her already taxed sides, Sharena shaking her head at her.

"Can you turn around? I'll do it."

It felt both intimate and strange, but Hilda followed her lead, sighing as the last tension on her ribcage was taken away. Now all that was left was the dull ache of her sides that flared in a few spots with each movement. She didn't cover herself, rubbing at the warm spot between her breasts that felt sticky with sweat.

"I'm god awful right now, why did I even think this was a good idea…"

"Hilda, no. You're hurt! You're not awful. My hands are all damp just from embarrassment!"

"Oh, my cute little princess…" Hilda chuckled. Sharena felt her face heat up more, unable to keep herself from admiring the way Hilda's breasts bounced as she laughed, the pink tinge to her nipples that looked quite flattering with her hair. She cleared her throat, nearly crossing her eyes to redirect herself and reconnected her eyes with Hilda's. "Distracted?" Hilda asked.

Sharena rolled her eyes at her, though half of it was from sheer embarrassment, her face feeling quite warm now.

"I think I'll remove your skirt now. Lie down for me?" She asked, needing to clear her throat to correct the squeak in it.

"Assertive girl," Hilda commented, giving her a wink as she lied back down, unable to stifle a moan of pain at the movement. Sharena winced, but allowed herself to tease the other woman by running her fingertips along her waistline just above the material of her skirt, finding the pale skin even softer than she'd expected. Hilda watched her, a gentle smile on her face, biting into her lower lip as Sharena undid one button of the skirt and pulled it off her.

"It's heavier than I thought," Sharena noted as Hilda raised her hips to help her, managing to stifle another pained moan.

"Can't have my panties showing in the middle of a battle!" Hilda said, puffing up her chest and dropping her voice an octave. Had she always been this flirty? _Nah_, Sharena decided, and blamed the alcohol instead. Or her own obliviousness.

"People would be scandalized just from their colors," Sharena agreed, detailing the pink patterns itched over the black fabric. "I've never had dark underwear like these," she added, her fingers skimming along the stitch lines. The dip of hip bones intrigued her, a small fire starting in her lower stomach as she wondered if pink hair hid under the fabric.

"That won't do! My girl needs a proper variety of undies," Hilda teased her, her voice shifting as Sharena looked up into her eyes, both embarrassed and flattered.

Picturing herself wearing Hilda's underwear was oddly arousing.

"My lady needs no undies at the moment, though," the blonde shot back, her hands supporting the boldness of her words as she tugged the piece of clothing down. Hilda blushed the same adorable pink, feeling Sharena's thumbs on her hips while her fingertips traced the curve of her ass, lingering on her thighs, blue eyes centering on the pink tuft of hair crowning her nether regions.

"You're pink down here too," she marvelled.

Hilda wiggled her nose, knowing how exposed and vulnerable she was right now. Her arms itched to cover her chest and she could swear she could feel every single droplet of sweat on her skin, convinced she must smell absolutely terrible from more than just her feet, which was mortifying right now. She'd normally want to be fresh as a button for a lover, her words keeping their bite despite her nervousness.

"What about you? Baby blond and pink down there?"

Sharena turned beet red, despite the fact she was fully dressed, or maybe because of how unfair the situation felt right now. Was she supposed to shed off clothes? She might die on the spot.

"Maybe I'll let you check on it once you're all clean?"

Her eyes widened, Hilda blinking at her, her smile even wider.

"Now I wish I wasn't so bruised up! You sure know how to motivate a girl!" she laughed, wincing as she couldn't hold it up in her throat.

"Don't get too excited, Hilda, I'm supposed to help you relax here."

Sharena pushed herself to her feet and gathered Hilda's clothes in a bundle to toss it in the basket she kept for laundry. She grabbed a clean cloth, soap and sat by the edge of the bed, helping Hilda back into a sitting position. She washed her face first, gentle and meticulous, Hilda sighing as the cloth brushed her neck.

"Sensitive?" Sharena asked.

"I haven't been fully naked in _forever_. And I am also inebriated?"

Sharena twisted her neck to give her a kiss, wrapping one arm around her, Hilda's next sigh turning into a moan as their tongues danced, tasting the alcohol off each other.

"I think you've made me so overwhelmed with all this, I'm almost sober," the princess whispered.

"And you're still here despite how I smell," Hilda surmised, licking her lower lip. "Wanna kiss me anywhere else? I might taste salty, but…"

Sharena smiled at her, cupping one of her breasts, her touch gentle first, growing firmer as Hilda pushed herself into her hand.

"I'm almost complexed when I look at them, but you're so beautiful." Hilda held one hand on the very top of her chest, her flush spread all over her face.

"They're a little small." Sharena complained, glancing down at her own.

"Well I like breasts of all sizes, but most of all, the person attached to those ones."

Sharena was shocked at the rumbling sound her throat made, bending forward to plant a kiss on the heavy breast she was holding. Her tongue darted out as she dared to follow this kiss with a second and a third, tasting the salty sweat on Hilda's skin. She remembered the kisses they'd shared last night, and how Hilda had nibbled on her ear and neck, forcing her to cover her mouth with her hand to muffle any sound. Everything that used to feel wrong was right now that Hilda had entered her life. She wanted to please her and memorize her over and over, grateful to finally be accepted for what she was.

"At this rate, I'll never…"

Sharena had been following the curve of her breast with her mouth, reaching its peak. She gave an experimental flick of her tongue to the pink nipple, her instincts taking over, her lips wrapping over the tip. Hilda's voice held a shiver, her body arching back.

"Ow… No, Rena, don't stop right as you've started, this is just the kind of healing I need. I just need to keep myself relaxed and… ah!"

Hilda panted as Sharena covered her unattended breast with her hand, giving a longer suck to her nipple, her thumb tracing the other one with slow motions.

"Is this really your first time doing this?"

"I remember you sneaking your hands under my shirt a few times," Sharena reminded her, giving one nipple a pinch as she gathered more of her other breast in her mouth.

Hilda gasped, steadying herself with one arm while cupping the back of her head. Sharena pulled back, surprised by the "pop" sound her mouth made, her hungry eyes instantly staring at Hilda's erected nipple, her index giving it another flick, Hilda jumping on the mattress with a new moan.

"Hey, this is going to make me even sweatier."

Sharena blinked, looking at her flushed face and swallowing. Hilda's chest was going up and down quite fast, her hand still in her hair, her eyes looking wild and her lips so so red. Straightening her back, Sharena inched forward to steal a kiss from her, smiling into her smile and, even more so as she felt Hilda's hands cupping her breasts through her shirt, giving them a rough squeeze that made her yelp. Her excitement felt hard to contain, her head too light from drinking, her throat dry unless she was kissing her partner.

"I'm not sure what's happening to me, Hilda…" she managed in between kisses.

"You're horny, silly girl. Maybe even more than I am. Do you want to take your shirt off?"

Sharena felt her heart swelling at the softness of her question. Hilda was sitting here, bare to her eyes, but willing to wait if she wasn't ready to do the same.

"I don't want you moving too much and hurting yourself more."

"Unless you run to the other side of the tent to strip, I don't think I have much moving to do. Actually wait… that might be fun!"

Sharena laughed, giving her another kiss, hearing herself moaning as Hilda's hands felt a little heavier on her.

"Am I corrupting you?"

"I so needed your corruption, sweetie," Sharena reassured her, pulling back to lift her shirt over her head, her hands shaking a bit as she dropped the garment to the floor.

Hilda's eyes were so warm, having her look down at herself to see if her body hadn't changed. Her shoulders had always felt bony to her, her arms too defined and her stomach too flat. Her small breasts barely needed a wrap, Hilda undoing it with her permission, both of them perking up proudly.

"Truly beautiful, my dear. You're so pink, we match!" Hilda exclaimed, her finger teasing one nipple, relishing Sharena's gasp.

"What now?"

The poor princess felt sheepish for asking, her partner biting her lower lip.

"How dare you be this adorable?"

"What? I'm not…"

"I can't bend over, so help me lie down and lean over me. I want to spoil you back."

Sharena gaped at her for the initial few seconds, wondering just how far they were going to end up by the end of the night. Then she followed Hilda's tugs, laying her down, the pillows pushed aside to have more space, the straw mattress dipping dangerously as they shifted. Hilda guided her, her fingers tracing light shivers on her sides, the swell of her breasts and over her back. It felt incredibly embarrassing to lower herself down, knowing a mouth was waiting to pepper her skin with kisses, but Hilda was hugging her in the awkward pause, the feelings that followed so good, Sharena felt any trace of embarrassment melting away. She was careful not to let any weight on Hilda, worried about her ribs, even though her worries shifted to letting out her voice soon enough.

"Hilda, it's…!"

"Focus on what you feel, dear," Hilda cut her off, her mouth wrapping over her left breast while she shifted one hand down her back to her front, pushing her pants as far down as she could. "If anything feels too rushed or too much, just tell me."

Sharena answered by shimmying further out of her pants, Hilda taking it as all the permission she needed to keep going, teasing her through her panties.

"Oh my…!"

"You're all wet already. Can I touch you directly?"

Another suck on her nipple, a thumb rolling across her clit.

"I don't think I can handle you doing both at the same time. And I want to touch you too."

Hilda lightly bit her nipple, her thumb adding pressure to her core while her tongue soothed the pain she'd created.

"Maybe we should focus on cleaning me some more?"

Sharena pushed herself up, moaning as Hilda traced her clenching abs, her other hand still teasing her through her underwear.

"You're so strong under that armor. I kinda want my head between your thighs."

"Hilda! How am I supposed to focus if you plant ideas like that in my head?!"

"It's all part of my sexy ploy to have you addicted to naked parties."

Sharena shook her head at her, her blond hair brushing against her naked form. The princess pulled back fully, getting to her feet despite feeling light-headed and removed the rest of her clothing while she had the courage to do so. Hilda barely had the time to benefit from the view, as Sharena dipped the washing cloth in the water basin, soaping it up and then running it gently over her bruised side, then her unblemished skin.

"Raise your arms?"

Hilda obeyed, squirming as Sharena cleaned both of her armpits, rinsing both areas and teasing her nipples with the wet cloth.

"Oh! Warn a girl?"

Sharena offered her a cocky smile, blushing as she pulled away to rinse the cloth of all soap.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but… spread your legs for me?"

Hilda groaned, voicing an apology as she parted her thighs. Sharena kneeled by the edge of the bed to be eye level with her lower mouth, her free hand stroking her pubic hair first, parting it open to expose her sex.

"Oh, I wished I'd offered to do this yesterday," she confessed.

She ran one finger along her folds, Hilda covering her eyes as the embarrassment finally got the best of her. Sharena cleaned her with gentle strokes, dropping the cloth to replace it with her fingers as she pulled the folds apart curiously.

"Oh goddess, don't lean in so close, I can't…!"

"Tell me what I can do?"

"Fingers?" Hilda squeaked, her whole body shivering as Sharena teased her wetness, spreading it across her entire sex.

She started with tentative touches, parting folds, finding her clit and losing it an instant, only to find it again and watch Hilda squirm as she moaned into her fist.

"Put a finger inside me," she asked.

"Inside?" Sharena repeated.

"Please, please, you can do what you want."

Sharena loved the sensation of power and trust these words gave her, coating her fingers in more of her wetness before inching one knuckle inside. She kept her ministrations on her clit with her other hand.

"How's this, my lady?"

"Pump it in me, Rena."

"I…"

"Oh sweet sweet Rena. In and almost out. You can be rougher, I won't break. Make me quiver till I shake."

Sharena pushed her finger deeper, eyes darting from Hilda's face to her burning hot sex, testing one pace, then another, until Hilda's moans came tumbling, her clit oh so hard and sensitive. Sharena's lower stomach was clenching, her thighs covered with sweat as she quickened her pace, Hilda's hips trashing against her in a matter of seconds.

She didn't let up, daring to do what she never tried for herself, seeing how far it could extend, and easing when Hilda begged her to, her voice a mess.

"Am I a quick study?" Sharena asked as she put her arms on either side of Hilda's legs, yelping as Hilda found the strength to lift said legs and wrapped both around her waist.

"Come up here, you… My ribs are killing me but this was the best, you don't need any studying in this area."

Sharena struggled to her feet, the pain in her knees from staying in the same station for so long finally registering, but Hilda was tapping the mattress for her to lie down and while the straw scratched a little through the bedsheets, Sharena obliged her, exhilarated by the idea she'd made her feel so good. Hilda rolled on her good side, wrapping her arms around the princess for a long and lazy kiss, Sharena surrendering herself to whatever she wanted to do. After more kisses, Hilda gently pushed her back to look down between them, squinting to catch any undertone to her blond hairs.

"I guess they're too short to show, huh?"

"Hilda, don't look at me so intensely…"

"After what you just did to me?! I will have my head between your thighs on multiple occasions, believe me!"

Sharena flushed despite herself, wondering if everything they were going to share could ever leave her mind when she walked out of this tent the next morning.

"Rena, lift your leg over my waist and let me work my magic, I have some heavy spoiling to do."

"Oh lord, I don't know how well I can hold my voice."

"Hide your face in my neck, dear. If it gets too much, you can bite me."

"Like I would…! Oh…"

Sharena couldn't help looking down as Hilda shifted her wrist, finding her wet and already quivering from the sheer excitement. Being touched by someone else was so very different, there was no comparison possible. Sharena panted as Hilda immediately rushed her clit in a fury of swirls and alternating pressures, moaning as the fingers teased her entrance, going back to her clit, playing her in a dance that made her eyes unfocused and her breathing even rougher.

"Do you like it, Rena?"

"Hilda… Hilda, it's much stronger then…"

"Keep your legs open for me, don't fight it."

"I'm scared."

"Oh baby, don't be scared. It's good, you're worth this a hundred times," Hilda told her.

Sharena's following gasp was the cutest thing she'd heard, the princess hiding her face against the hollow of her neck, holding her tight as Hilda drove her over the edge. She felt Sharena kissing her collarbone and chest as she drew out her orgasm, refusing to let her rest so she could build another one. The way she shook at the second wave of bliss was torture for Hilda's ribs, but she was so content, hurting a little in exchange for Sharena's warm voice in her ears was a small price to pay.

If she was honest with herself, she didn't remember a time when she'd last felt she belonged. Until now.

"Fuck… Hilda, that was so intense!"

"Oh don't make me laugh. My middle hurts…"

"I'm so sorry Hil', is there anything I can do to help?"

"Promise me more of this tomorrow?"

"Like I'd say no!" Sharena laughed, kissing her hard to support her point. "We don't even have to wait tomorrow if you're up for more."

"Oh dear, I don't want to say no!" Hilta tilted her head up and Sharena pressed her forehead against her, both grinning at each other before tilting for a kiss and tangling themselves with each other. They didn't let go of each other until exhaustion claimed them both.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They'd lost over a dozen men, including Lucas, and Hawkeye. Veronica's troops were far better prepared than expected, and Xander himself had shown with reinforcements, crossing blades with Alfonse, the blond prince on a horse while the Askrian fended him back from the ground. He'd put the wounded on his own horse in the hope he could send them back to Serra and the other healers they'd brought. Burying their dead hadn't been possible, Alfonse ordering to have them burned as they retreated. Rolf had fired the shots with a heavy heart. At night, Olwen heard him thanking the goddess that none of those men had been his brothers. Hearing it as they sat around a campfire had nearly undone him. Alfonse tried his best to keep every man and woman in his army alive. He also did his best to make sure he kept them at a distance. Because he was bound to lose more of them with every new mission. And that thought had him worrying about Sharena and the people he'd sent with her.

He itched to write a letter to her, something short and simple that would let her know he worried but also give her some encouragement. He wasn't quite good at those, his sister being the best out of them too at cheering people up.

The reconnaissance mission had led them a good week away from their main camp. Right now, it felt too close for comfort and Alfonse had ordered his troops to split and take as many different routes as possible. The best off had the mission to patrol the nearby villages to make sure that everyone within their territory was safe. Xander had asked after his brother, but not about Corrin, which had to mean that none of Veronica's men knew that Corrin had been summoned to this world yet. He wasn't sure their initial plan was going to work, but at least, they still had the element of surprise up their sleeve.

_Like surprising such a man can help_, Alfonse sighed to himself.

He couldn't wait to be back in camp and try to wash away those new losses with more work and planning. At least, they'd cut down Veronica's numbers, laying waste to a ruin she'd turned into a fort. They had destroyed so many walls from that place with their fighting that it was unusable for either army now, but at least, this result made it feel as though the blood and souls paid had not gone in vain.

About ten days later, he was greeted by smiles as he finally arrived back into his camp. Sharena was already back, Anna catching up to him as he got off his horse. She wanted to give him a rundown of what had happened, but his return had quickly been announced all around and just as she was saying the word bridge, Alfonse felt a hand grabbing his shoulder and a fist slamming into his face.

His pride would have wished for him to raise an arm in self-defense, but he was exhausted and supposed to be back to safety now that he was in his second home. He barely caught a glimpse of blond hair, sensing the flaring pain spreading across his face as blood ran down his cheek.

"Why the hell did you not send us out with more people?!" Leo asked him. "My sister nearly died out there!"

The news was like a slash through his insides, his heart instantly worrying about Sharena.

His eyes went to Anna's face, who was glaring at Leo and stepping between them.

"Did you have to keep your gauntlet on? I was going to…" she started, only to be interrupted by Sharena and Corrin both calling their respective brother.

"Alfonse!"

"Leo! I told you not to…!" Corrin limped over to him, Azura supporting her on one side.

"Why are you not resting?" Leo cut the dragon princess off, giving Azura an accusing glance who just shook her head at him. He turned back to Alfonse who was wiping the blood from his face, still kneeling on the ground. "I have questions for you, highness."

"I'm willing to answer, but I suggest you use words," Alfonse grunted back, pushing himself back to his feet. He was covered in more dirt now and his left eye was aching while his skin burned. "Otherwise, ask me for a duel in the arena."

"Why would you suggest that?" Sharena sighed, hurrying to her brother's side.

Alfonse blinked hard as he tried to gather all he could from the people around him. Corrin was leaning on a crutch, her armor replaced with ample clothes that were usually offered to wounded and recovering people.

"You sent us off with barely any people and not a single healer, counting on my sister to do all the work since she can shift into a dragon!" Leo declared, straining for calm through his rage, swinging his arm wide to gesture at the retreating women as Azura aided Corrin to what he assumed was the direction of somewhere to rest.

"I…"

"And you put your own sister in charge instead of picking an actual tactician with experience," he added, his teeth grit together and breathing hard through his nose. .

Sharena tensed next to him, but Alfonse was seeing red now.

"Now you've crossed a line. We may not know what happened in your original worlds, but Sharena and I have fought Veronica's army for the past three years. _Three years_. And there were always skirmishes or something before that."

Thoughts of his disappointed father looking down on him made bile rise in his throat, Alfonse biting back on any more words, glancing at Corrin as though to ask if she was in such a bad condition. It felt wrong. He wished no pain to anyone under his command. But he was still raw from the battlefield, could still see Lucas covered in blood and Hawkeye's severed arm lying across the field in a puddle of mud.

"She is not fit to command, have her support soldiers or take arms, she can fight, but a leader needs to think on the fly."

Alfonse felt Sharena deflating a little more next to him and struggled to keep his hands from turning into fists.

"Leo, please, this is not the time," Corrin asked him, catching his arm with both hands.

"My oversight in not sending a healer with you is inexcusable, an error I shall not make again. You have my most sincere apologies, both you and Corrin." He marked a pause, Leo giving a stunted nod of acknowledgement. "Now, regarding _my _sister, the next time you speak ill of her, _I'll_ be the one punching _you_."

Leo gave a noncommittal shrug, Corrin punching his side, wincing as she did so, and cursed at him for even being like this.

"You're impossible sometimes! Alfonse, we ended up fine."

"Your wound got infected before we could make it back because we were sent off unprepared!" Leo protested.

Alfonse winced, catching the guilt in Sharena's eyes as they exchanged a brief look. He hated whenever he made her bear more on her shoulders. There were times when she couldn't even smile and knowing it was his fault for not being a better leader, for not planning further ahead…

"What's done is done," Corrin tried to calm him.

Leo clearly had more to say, but he decided it was better to get his sister back in her bed. They had installed a cot in her tent to make sure she would be allowed good rest to recuperate. Alfonse waited until they were gone to drop his shoulders, wincing from the throbbing still going through his face. Sharena stepped closer to him, Anna cursing under her breath.

"You need to sit down and have this cleaned up," his sister told him.

"I should check on the rest of the…"

"Alfonse, your commander - that is me if you remember - can do it. Rest up. Eat something, slap a cold steak on that black eye."

"It's already black?"

"And puffy. Kinda disappointed your nose is intact," the red-haired woman joked, pulling her tongue at him as she backed away quickly.

Alfonse groaned, mentally cursing for how it pulled at his face.

"Brother, how bad did it go out there? You didn't send a single letter." Sharena reminded him.

"It was _bad_. But that's nothing new really. Are you okay? Was Leo disrespectful and this… furious the whole time I was gone?"

"Only from the moment Corrin got hurt… And he has a point. I could have done a better job back there. We've never had a dragon in our ranks."

Alfonse thought of Ninian, but it was different, since the young woman never shifted. He felt more blood dripping from his face and raised his already blood-stained sleeve.

"Why do we insist on wearing white out here?" he mused.

"Cause we both already look too pale?"

Sharena wrapped one arm around his shoulders to help him out and back to his tent. It wasn't the first time he'd taken a punch in his life, but he still despised the brief walk of shame. He didn't refuse his sister's help though, his pride was not that strong. As he heard the usual hubbub of their camp, he wondered if some sounds were missing. If the new absents would leave a void for long enough anyone would notice before they were replaced by yet more people joining their seemingly never-ending battle. A shot of blond hair over blue feathered clothes caught his attention, even though his left eye could barely open by now.

"Alfonse?" Fjorm asked, her eyes widening at the sight of blood.

"Oh no," he blurted out, instantly regretting his words.

Sharena was too close to not have heard and if she had the chance, she would tease him. It was what sisters were for after all.

"What happened to you?"

"Unhappy soldier gave me a piece of his mind?" he tried, managing a grimace that might look like a smile.

"Right as you arrive back…" she sighed, taking a tentative step forward.

Alfonse was glad to notice she stood straight and didn't need to use her lance as a support anymore. She still carried the weapon, giving him the impression she might have been wondering if she should leave, the thought giving birth to a small ache he couldn't quite locate. Was it his chest, his throbbing head or just his mind playing tricks on him?

"Want to help me take care of him before he tries to check on maps and more battle plans instead of resting?" Sharena suggested.

"I'd like to help," Fjorm answered, the lightest blush showing on her pale cheeks. They made their way back up to the tents that served the Askrian leadership. She noted how they were more akin to cloth cabins than actual tents, especially when compared to the housing of the soldiers in the rows. They walked past the one that had served as her bedroom for these past weeks and into the largest of the central tents, and she realized this was the first time she was to see the interior of anything aside from the tent she was housed in.

The inside was quite lavish, even more so than the one she had been in. She at first assumed that this tent housed all the Askrian leadership until Alfonse welcomed her to _his_ tent. They truly had made a new home of this camp, and she wondered about their original home. Were they just so invested in this war, or was their birthplace destroyed?

She had the impression that Alfonse would never call himself a sentimental man. But there was evidence to the contrary around his tent. Banners of his homeland flanked the inner and outer flaps of his tent. A dummy held a tunic draped over a set of armor that was clearly intended for show and not use. Edges were frilled with gold-toned thread, the chest bearing the Askrian crest and an unfamiliar written language wrote something around the neck.

A quilt was draped over the edge of the large cot to the side of the room with such care she was certain it was not intended for use. But it looked like something a mother would quilt for a small child, and the size looked about right. There was a bookcase absolutely stuffed with books, several more sitting atop the small furniture that could not fit inside. Beside his bed was a table with a chess set upon it.

"You play?" she asked as they walked to his bed so he could sit down.

"You may sit my lady."

"I think you forget why we are here?" Fjorm replied, and heard Sharena snicker behind her.

"Trying to get a lady into your bed already?" She asked.

"I shall not dishonor her such! Your mouth Sharena, by the gods… you've spent far too much time around Anna and Kiran!"

"How hard did Leo hit you?" Sharena asked. "Fjorm, you may sit with him. I'll fetch some hot water and a good steak."

"You shall not waste the good steak on my eye!" Alfonse protested immediately.

"Oh don't fret. I'll still cook it up and serve it to Kiran later, he won't notice the difference." Sharena waved her hand. "Make sure he stays out of trouble and doesn't start more fistfights." Sharena instructed Fjorm and left the tent. A heavy silence hung over the pair as they were left alone, Fjorm the first to break it as her attention again shifted to the chess board. Closer to it she could see it appeared very old, and handmade. The squares were just shy of perfect, and the pieces worn with age. One piece appeared somehow older than the others, and made from a different wood.

"You knight is odd." Fjorm remarked, picking up the piece and turning it over in her hand.

"Be careful! Umm.. please. Sorry." He backpedaled quickly when he saw her shocked expression. "That… that was my grandfather's. He gave it to me when I was old enough to train to be in my father's army so I could lead it. To remind me every knight has a purpose. He used to play games with me, teaching me to play. Then he would challenge me to defeat him without my knights. I couldn't do it. Like a King can't win his war without his knights." Alfonse explained. Fjorm let him take the piece out of her hand, and he started turning it in his own fingers, old memories of games and strategies floating around his mind. Of various challenges. Trying to defeat him with no rooks. No bishops. No Queen. He could never win a game against his grandfather missing a unit, even if he got to replace them with another.

"Much pain?" Fjorm asked.

"The memories? No. My grandfather was stern but kind." She saw a flicker of expression and gave him a moment before she clarified.

"I meant your face."

"Oh." Alfonse replied, reaching up and touching the skin just beneath his eye. He withdrew his hand with a hiss, clenching his teeth together. He sniffed again, swallowing more blood. He was going to need a hearty mug of mead to wash away more than just the pain. Both missions had gone horribly wrong, and he counted himself lucky that Sharena's small party to destroy the bridge suffered such comparatively minor casualties.

"Alfonse?" Fjorm asked. He looked up and gave her a humorless smile.

"It hurts but it'll stop." He answered. Fjorm nodded, and he could see the tension in her shoulders. He wanted to reassure her but where would he even begin? He wasn't even settled himself. "Perhaps you should go rest?" he suggested, feeling ashamed and vulnerable. His plans failed. He could only imagine the letter from his father, the distance to the castle his only comfort. Perhaps Anna could write it, and blunt the news paradoxically with her blunt words.

"I've rested quite enough and am feeling restless. But should you prefer to be alone I can-"

"No!" he cut her off, standing up and holding up his hands to stop her progress. They both stopped and stared at one another, and after a pause Fjorm sat back down. "I don't mean to kick you out." He tried to explain. Sharena reappeared then, and he couldn't have been more grateful. She had a slab of meat in her hand and walked over to Alfonse, ignoring the way he leaned back, and pressed the steak to his eye.

"Ow…" He complained, but pressed his hand over the meat and righted himself. She had gotten it fresh from the buried icebox and after the initial sting came immediate relief.

"I should have gotten you a new shirt too. And remind me to give Leo a piece of my mind!" Sharena huffed. "Perhaps we _should_ treat him like a prisoner."

"I doubt the echoes of that would carry well." Alfonse disparaged. "Only create more enemies."

"If our injured dragon-friend isn't already." Sharena sighed. She sat down next to Fjorm, who shifted herself with what little space was left on the cot. "What happened brother?" She asked. Alfonse hesitated, silence hanging thick in the air. He shifted in his seat, his gaze locked to his knees as he tried to gather his thoughts. But he started slow, trying to recall the memories that were already beginning to spot over. Whether it was because he wanted to forget it, or his recent blow to the head, but he got enough of the detail out. Their mission was a near-failure. The casualties too numerous for him to feel right calling it a victory. And judging from the bridge party's return, their mission could also hardly be counted as a victory.

"But it sounds as though, at the least, the bridge was destroyed, the enemies guarding it defeated. It sends a message that you now know of their attempt to cross the river and subvert you." Fjorm offered after the siblings finished bringing each other up to speed.

"But they have superior numbers. What if the bridge was a distraction? We could never survive a frontal attack from Veronica now. She has the upper hand." Alfonse responded. Fjorm explained her disagreement, but saw that at least for now she was not going to break through his melancholy by trying to offer her perspective on the situation as described.

"Feeling better with the steak on your eye?" She asked instead. He shrugged, dropping the steak and touched his fingertips to the area again. The bruising was darker, though the swelling hadn't gotten any worse.

"Why don't you go check in on Hilda? I just got a deserved punch to the face. I assume she'd be happy to see you stop in. Maybe check on Corrin too." Alfonse suggested. Sharena shook her head,

"I'll go check on Hilda for sure. But I don't think Corrin, or more likely Azura and Leo, would really appreciate me showing my face around that part of camp. Unless you want us to be twins." She grimaced. Alfonse's expression soured and he stood up, balling a fist by his side.

"If that man lays a _finger_ on you, Corrin's brother or not I will have him arrested!" He barked. He felt pressure on his shoulder and Fjorm speaking from behind him,

"This is no help to you." She urged. She was right, anger would accomplish little more than cloud his judgement.

"I should pour over my maps. Mark our next move."

"I'll talk to Anna and Kiran too." Sharena agreed. She had wanted to suggest that her brother simply rest, though she knew his stubbornness would only make him dig his heels in further and just hoped that perhaps Fjorm could calm him. Her brother had been acting a little strange at times since she was brought back to camp. She bid them good evening and parted, suggesting that Alfonse change his shirt.

He looked down, seeing the large blood stains and sighed. He doubted there would be any use for this tunic now aside from intimidating enemies if he coupled it with an animal mask.

"Mayhaps the maps can wait until morning? When rest has cleared your mind of what battle has fogged."

"The longer we take-"

"Alfonse… please consider. A half-day delay in the making of new plans will not turn the tide of war. For war is the glacier trying to climb back up the mountain in winter."

"Many glaciers where you come from?" Alfonse asked, and kicked himself for the wording.

"We had what we called the twins. Two mountains to the north that had great glaciers. One unusually hot summer we discovered a pair of ancient cities that had been buried by the glaciers." Fjorm explained.

"How far north is your home?" Alfonse asked. Fjorm thought, and realized she didn't know exactly where she was and fear instantly gripped her heart and the impulse to suddenly run, steal a horse, anything to charge away form this camp, find highground and get her bearings.

"May I see one of your maps?" She asked, trying to bring herself back down to the level of rationality. He brought it over, and she started to look it over. There were landmarks she didn't recognize, though perhaps it was simply the difference in the artistic choices of the mapmaker and the names of places in the tongue of the Askrians. On the far north edge of the map she finally found something familiar. It was a river that ran from north-to-south through her homeland, but at the southern border turned west towards the sea and began to wind around forming a series of oxbow lakes they called the string-of-pearls, though it appeared that the Akrians called it the armor-studs. More landmarks on the map were named such. The Sheith Mountains, Fletcher's Forest, Forge Lake. _How long have they been at war?_ And how could such a focused nation result in people as kind as Alfonse or as happy as his sister Sharena? Were they too pulled from other worlds?

"What are you looking at?"

"The String-of-Pearls lakes." Fjorm replied. "In the winter we used to travel south to them. My family had a small palace here," She paused and pointed to the largest of the lakes. "It would get too cold in the northern palace, and some years the glaciers would run far enough south we'd end up scared of being trapped. It was so nice… Gunnthrá taught me how to skate. Yglr was always too frightened. How mother would tease her…" Her voice trailed off, vision blurring as tears took over her eyes.

"The what?" He looked where she was pointing, and she was glad for his focus on the map. "Oh. The Armor Stud Lakes." Alfonse replied. "Wow.. you made it this far south on your own?" He marveled. He looked up suddenly when he heard her sniffle and realized her eyes were red and she was running her thumbs under them. "Fjorm…"

"I'm sorry. We came here to tend to that strike." She shook her head, sniffling hard and took a deep breath to keep herself from breaking into a sob. The memories of her family hit her harder than she could have ever imagined. He tried to give her words of comfort, though they both knew there were none that would provide it. The pain of recalling her siblings would never abate until she found them, and the smell of her mother's burning corpse would linger forever.

Alfonse wanted to reach out and slip an arm around her to give her a shoulder to cry on. But her statement reminded him he was wearing a tunic covered in blood and he was still dripping from the nose what blood he wasn't swallowing.

"I should make myself a little more presentable." he commented.

"You should see a healer." She corrected.

"Father would re-bloody my nose were I to waste a healer's time on such trivial things." Alfonse answered.

"I see not your father here. It can be our secret." She replied. Alfonse wanted to debate the issue further, a true man wouldn't be bested by a single punch. He supposed that at the least without such a throbbing face he'd be more apt to pay attention at the tent meeting to discuss what to do with the two semi-failed missions and what they should do about the enemy building bridges to their lands.

"I don't wish to distress someone." He argued.

"Why don't you rest here then, I can go find a healer. Are their tents marked?" She offered. The idea of wandering alone in this war camp of strangers terrified her, but she had a strong suspicion he would refuse her off outright.

"No! We can uh, go together then." He counter-offered. "Just let me be less… umm.. Frightful. Would be ill of me to go fetch a hunter as their leader looking like this."

"Fair enough. Let me help you," Fjorm replied. She got up and shook her head at his attempted protest and gathered a pitcher of water, a shallow bowl, and some spare cloth. She dipped a cloth in water, wishing that she could have heated it, and wrung it out.

A large amount of blood had dried and caked to his upper lip and chin, but came off with only a bit of fuss. Fjorm had her head tilted as she concentrated, using her thumb to rub the cloth against his skin. The water was cool and felt refreshing. With her leaning over him, Alfonse could see just _how _blue her eyes were. Her skin was pale and he could see the thin lines of blue and red running just under her skin.

"You have very pretty eyes." He remarked. She paused what she was doing, the cloth pressed against the corner of his mouth. "I… I was always told to pay a lady a compliment when one arises." He explained. Though he was only telling her the truth. Her eyes were stunning, complimented with her pale skin, her blonde hair, matching the frosted ends of her hair.

"I suppose then it's only fair that I admit that your eyes are quite handsome as well." She finally replied. "You father sounds like a strict man. Has he arranged for a young woman's hand to be promised to you yet?" She inquired. Alfonse stopped picking at the lint on his knee and stared at her for a moment, wondering where in the heavens _that_ question came from.

"Technically yes." he answered, and cleared his throat while he shook his head. "However... A terrible plague of tuberculosis swept through much of this continent. My betrothed fell to the consumption, as did my sister's betrothed. We both had been promised to a pair of cousins."

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry for you both." Fjorm frowned and removed the cloth from his face, rinsing it in the bowl of water. "I recalled word of a disease in the south meaning we would be without goods from traders that year. But I had no idea that it was so severe."

"I had only met her a pair of times. Hardly knew her. My sister knew her betrothed better and perhaps it was better that he succumbed… she always seemed so ill taken to him. Lacked her usual sense of cheer and optimism. As though there was nigh some positive she could find in her match." He continued. His sister had known her entire life that she would be promised to some young prince or duke or other lordling at their father's will, and wondered what the Sir had been like to cross her so. "As for yourself? A beautiful princess from the lands to the north must have had many a suitor vying for her hand." He asked.

"Yes… I had several suitors. But most were for my elder sister Gunnthrá. So far north there was not much advantage to marrying the second or third child." Fjorm replied. She had fancied the third son of a local lord, but it was little more than that. Just the fancy of a stupid girl. As was this blooming fancy for this foreign man in these foreign lands. _Just wishing you were like the girls in your books_ she chided herself. She let out a hard breath through her nose and went back to scrubbing the last dried specks of blood. "We best get you to the healer now," She stated to interrupt any further talk of betrotheds.

"Broken nose you suppose?" He asked. Fjorm studied his face for a moment. His nose was indeed swollen, though whether it was off-center was difficult to say. She was certain in due time his eyes would be blackened, or at least the one on the left who's lid was already slightly swollen, where he had been pressing the meat his sister provided.

"I'm not a healer. Though a broken nose can be quite rugged and fetching on a man." She replied. She stood up and brushed her dress straight, rolling her shoulders and turning abruptly on the ball of her foot. "Perhaps after you visit the healer we can try to get a hot meal into you, and meade does well for the spirits." She suggested. "Cook up that steak we held to your eye?"She suggested.

Alfonse couldn't help a light smile.

"Would you accompany me, or did you eat already?"

….

They had enough orbs to proceed with three summons. Sharena and Alfonse gathered with Anna and Kiran to help each other with explaining to the heroes of foreign worlds why they were suddenly in a new place. They had wanted to bring Corrin, whom Anna dubbed the cheerful lizard, but Azura and Leo insisted she stay in bed, which they made known to the Askrians in no uncertain terms, and let her rest for once, and Corrin had agreed. And Alfonse had no desire to earn a second black eye to match the first by crossing her brother again.

Instead, Byleth had joined them. She had yet to agree to join their side, and had requested to know more about these orbs that tore her away from her world. The stone steps leading to the shrine where they tore apart worlds felt too much like a religious shrine, like an outdoor cathedral. Tall stone pillars felt as though they were bending over to get a better look at her, the ever-watchful eyes of Rhea. But upon the altar the orbs were revealed, simple multi-colored balls that could have been oversized marbles a child would play with. There was little to discern from the actual summoning, and she felt like maybe coming with them would have been a waste of time.

The first person who appeared from thin air was a tall dark-skinned man with thick black hair beaded on one side. He had green eyes and was dressed in gold and black, sporting a bow on his back. He dropped the book in his hands as he caught sight of his new surroundings.

"What kind of…?" He fell into a fighting stance, an arrow dropping into his hand as he pulled his bow free to aim at them.

Alfonse raised both hands to show he meant him no harm, side-stepping to put himself between the summoned hero and Sharena.

"Your name's Claude Von Riegan, isn't it?" he asked, cocking his head slightly with up-turned brows. .

"How do you know that?" Claude's stance stiffened and he drew back tighter on the notched arrow. His arms started to shake and he knew he couldn't keep the threat up for long and was forced to drop the tension again, though he didn't un-notch the arrow.

"Byleth?" Alfonse asked, sensing that she might be their best option to diffuse this situation.

Claude's eyes widened, his shoulders tensing as he blinked too quickly, trying to hide his reaction, but Anna could sense the anger flaring out of him as he tried to adjust his stance and re-aim the bow.

"Why is Byleth here? Are you part of…"

Sharena tried to start the usual explanation, holding up her hands like Alfonse had, stepping from beside his protection. "Hey, look, we mean you no harm." She called up. "We're not part of-" She paused, trying to think of the words but she wasn't her brother and she wasn't able to keep entire histories of foreign worlds trapped inside her head ready to use on the fly.

"We are not allied with the Death Knight. Nor any enemy of Fodlan." Alfonse supplied in the silence. Claude's jaw worked, and he lowered his arms further, fatigue quickly building up. His eyes looked about and he stepped back, nearly stumbling over the small hole in the altar where the orb that summoned him was placed.

Byleth had remained silent until now, slowly trying to process this sorcery. Of all the people they could summon, it wasn't a stranger, it wasn't even a student from another house, it was...

"Claude?" she interrupted. Her arms were crossed and if he'd been close enough, he would be able to see she was holding her own arms tightly to keep her hands from shaking, despite her relaxed stance and impassive expression. She stared up at him, eyes narrowed as though she doubted her own eyes.

"Byleth? I thought… Are you alright?" Claude asked in a stammer, and finally dropped his aim, shoulders slumping as he took a step forward to fix his stance. He slung his bow over his back and stepped down from the altar to rush towards her and touch what he was sure was an illusion crafted by Rhea.

She pushed his extended hands back, overwhelmed and her lips thinned, pressed tight together, angered to have all those royals watching. She didn't trust them. She couldn't bring herself to. And from talking with the various warriors Petra and Hilda had started calling comrades across the camp, she knew that this Claude might not be hers, hence why she pushed him away from her.

"I'll explain everything to you. But I need you to come with me and answer my questions first."

"What? How did you even do this?" he wondered, and cursed Rhea with his next breath.

He wanted to hold her more than anything, but the harshness in her eyes was stronger than ever. His stomach was heavy at the idea she doubted him. How was he supposed to understand this? She'd vanished so suddenly, the last months had been a nightmare of sleepless nights, looking for answers, looking for her with a little more despair every day.

"I did nothing. Claude, this is not your world."

He frowned, immediately picking up on her choice of pronoun. Her voice held strong and steady as always. She wore different clothes from the day he'd last seen her, but she looked the same. Could he trust his eyes?

"Byleth…"

"Come with me, I'll explain. Surely I can explain this whole mess to him myself?" she asked, turning her head to the pair of royals.

Alfonse squared his shoulders, Sharena giving a quick nod.

"You're no prisoners, we ask for help, we don't demand it," the blonde added.

Claude glanced from Byleth to Alfonse and Sharena, his eyes hardening at the hooded figure of Kiran. It reminded him of Tomas. Of the man behind Tomas who'd almost taken Byleth away from him, back when he hadn't realized just how much she mattered to him.

To be continued…


End file.
